


Uncertain Threats

by nalaa



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mackenzie-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-01-13 08:14:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 44,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1219054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nalaa/pseuds/nalaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The front of her building was crowded with police cars and an ambulance, a long yellow cord preventing anyone from going inside. [...] Everything in her living room was turned upside down: papers scattered all over the room, broken glass on the floor, smashed laptop on her desk, cushions thrown from the couch that had landed everywhere. What the hell had happened in there?</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Set after The Greater Fool (1x10)

Mackenzie was walking down the street thinking about what she was going to do once she got into her apartment: a long bubble bath, a big glass of wine and slow music playing in the background. She was tired and in a huge need of a quiet relaxing evening.

 

She turned over the corner of her street and the sight before her made her stop dead in her tracks. The front of her building was crowded with police cars and an ambulance, a long yellow cord preventing anyone from going inside. She quickly walked the remaining distance to her building and worked her way between the people standing there who were trying to discover what had happened.

 

"Excuse me!" Mac yelled to the nearest police officer.

"What can I do for you, ma'am?" The officer politely asked her.

"What the hell happened?"

"I'm not allowed to disclose that information, ma'am." He calmly replied.

"I live here!" Mac exclaimed to the officer.

"In which apartment?"

"7-B." Mac replied, not sure why he needed that information.

"Come with me." He quickly told her.

 

The police officer lifted the cord so she could step inside the closed area and escorted her to who she thought was his boss. She was very confused and kept looking at her surroundings, trying to make sense of everything that was happening around her. Then, she saw Danny, her doorman, being carried on a stretcher towards a waiting ambulance.

 

"What happened to Danny?" She asked, her eyes never leaving the older man form being attended by two EMTs.

"He was attacked." The officer simply said before tapping his colleague's shoulder. The other officer turned to look at him and he pointed to Mackenzie, standing in the middle of all that commotion, looking lost.

 

"Ma'am?" The other officer asked, gently touching her arm to grab her attention. "I'm Detective Mark Johnson, NYPD."

"Mackenzie McHale." She replied, introducing herself.

"They told me you live in apartment 7-B?"

"I do." She told him, still distracted. "What the hell happened in here? Who attacked Danny?" Mac asked Detective Johnson.

"Why don't we step inside?" He said, pointing to her building.

"Alright."

 

Once inside the lobby, Detective Johnson invited Mac to sit down in one of the couches before sitting down in front of her.

 

"What happened?" Mac asked for the third time, slightly irritated.

"About an hour ago, someone dressed as a delivery man entered the building and attacked Mr. Davis with a baseball bat. He'll be ok." He told her before she had time to ask. "He's got a pretty nasty concussion but he's conscious. He's the one who called 911."

"Why did you ask about my apartment?"

"At first, we thought the suspect got in and broke into different apartments but, after we searched all the floors and talked to your neighbors, we realized he only broke into one."

"Mine?" Mac asked him with a shaky voice, fear beginning to flow through her veins. The Detective simply nodded. "Did he take anything?"

"It doesn't seem like he did, but you'll have to check."

"Then, what the hell did he want?" Mac said while getting up from her seat. Her hand kept ruining through her hair while she paced up and down the narrow space between the two couches.

"That's why I want to ask you a few questions. This isn't an ordinary robbery, someone went specifically to your apartment, and we want to know why."

"You and me, both." She told him, stopping for a moment, pissed off. "Ask away." She said before resuming her pacing.

"Do you know anyone who has any reason to do this?" He asked his first question, taking out a notebook and a from the breast pocket of his shirt.

"No."

"Do you have a husband or a boyfriend?"

"I don't." She involuntarily chuckled.

"Any recent break-ups?"

"No."

"Any trouble at work?"

"Nothing more than the usual." Mac told him. Tired of pacing around, she sat back down and crossed her arms in front of her, before leaning back on the couch and closing her eyes.

"Where do you work?" He asked while he continued scribbling notes on his pad.

"ACN. I'm the Executive Producer of News Night." She volunteered before he has time to ask.

"With Will McAvoy?" Detective Johnson said, raising his eyes to look at her.

"Yeah." Mac replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"He's been receiving death treats."

"I know."

"Even more since the American Taliban broadcast last week."

"Tell me something I don't know." She sarcastically told him. Deep down, she knew it wasn't  Detective Johnson's fault but she was angry and, right at that moment, he was the one asking annoying questions.

"How much of that did you write?"

"We wrote it together." She explained. "But he's the visible face, he's the one who delivered it in national television. I'm the one working backstage."

"I loved what he said." He told her. Mac smiled and thanked him for the compliment. "Is it possible that someone who didn't like what he said, has decided to take it out on you instead of him?"

"Yes? Maybe? I don't know." Mac replied, confused. "Isn't that your job?"

"It is." He lightly laughed. "You won't be able to stay here tonight." He explained to her. "CSU will be looking for evidence so you'll need a place to stay. Can we call someone for you?" He kindly asked Mac.

"No, thank you. I'll get a room in an hotel for tonight."

"Ok. Why don't we go upstairs? You can take a look to see if there's anything missing and then you can pack a bag. We'll drive you to the hotel afterwards."

 

Mac took her Blackberry out of her purse and called The Plaza to book a room. She had to drop her father's name, even if she despised having to do it, but she finally got a Junior Suite that would cost more than she wanted to think about; but she was tired, confused, scared and in the need of good room service and a nice bed. Once she was done, Detective Johnson accompanied her upstairs.

 

The sight that greeted Mac, once she got there, astonished her. Everything in her living room was turned upside down: papers scattered all over the room, broken glass on the floor, smashed laptop on her desk, cushions thrown from the couch that had landed everywhere. What the hell had happened in there?

 

Detective Johnson, clearly understanding what was she feeling, spoke gently to her. "We think he used the bat to do this."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Mac sarcastically spat out, turning to look at him.

"No, sorry." He said. "Take a look around, tell me if something is missing."

 

Mac carefully stepped inside, trying to not trip over something or somebody. She was looking around the room when she felt the first signs that tears were about to fall from her eyes. She took a deep breath to calm herself, not wanting to cause a scene with so many police officers around her, before she walked to her bedroom. The door was open but, inside, everything seemed to be in its rightful place. After a closer look, she noticed that some of her dresser's drawers were slightly open. She knew she had left them closed that morning, before she had left for work, so she got closer to take a better look. Detective Johnson, who had followed her to the bedroom, saw her approaching the dresser and stopped her before she could touch anything.

 

"Wait." He told her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sure I closed these drawers before I left." Mac explained.

"What do you keep here?" He asked while putting on a pair of gloves.

"Jewelry, some papers, clothes." She replied.

"Let's take a look."

 

The detective opened the first drawer and let Mac look inside. She felt relieved when she saw all her jewelry was still there. Luckily for her, she only kept a few things at home with her, the rest were safely stored in a safe-deposit box. After a deep breath, Mac nodded at him and he closed the drawer. The second one looked a bit disorganized, someone had clearly gone over all those papers, but, at first sight, Mac couldn't tell if something was missing.

 

"I'd have to go through them to know if he took something." She told him.

"We'll take them. Tomorrow, after we get your formal statement, you can check."

"Can you lift the ones on the left side? There should be a frame under there." Mac asked him, nicely. He quickly complied. They both looked at each other: it wasn't there. "It was a picture of Will and me, taken a few years ago." Mac pinched the bridge of her nose and took another deep breath. "Why the hell would that creep want that?"

"It was hidden. He assumed it was important to you." The detective answered.

 

Defeated, Mac took a few steps back and sat down on her bed. Detective Johnson pointed to the last open drawer. Pure horror showed on Mac's face before she hid her face between her hands. "Oh God." She muttered.

"What?" The detective asked, confused.

"That's my underwear drawer." Mac replied without looking at him.

 

She didn't want to look. Mac kept her eyes closed and her face hidden while Detective Johnson inspected the drawer. Once she heard he had closed it, she raised her head and glanced at him.

 

"It doesn't seem that he touched anything." He told her.

"Then?" Mac asked, confused. Then, he saw a piece of paper on his hand. "What's that?" She said.

"He left a note."

 

* * *

 

Detective Johnson had refused to tell her what the note said, insisting they could talk about it when she went to the precinct the next day. After checking the rest of the apartment, she had packed a bag and had gratefully accepted the ride to the hotel. Before he left, Detective Johnson had given Mac his card, telling her to call if she needed something.

 

Sleep hadn't come easily that night. After a light dinner - her stomach refused to be fed -, Mac had taken a shower before burying herself under the covers of that wonderful bed. She had closed her eyes and tried to sleep but, hours later, she had been still awake. She had kept tossing while trying to find a comfortable position, but she had still been unable to fall asleep. Finally, a few minutes before dawn, she had succumbed to an uneasy slumber.

 

The alarm woke her up two hours later. She moved her arm and reached for her Blackberry. She silenced the annoying noise and groaned when she saw the hour. Knowing she had too many things to do before she could go to work, Mac got up from the bed and sleepily walked to the bathroom to go over her morning routine. Once she was out of the shower, only clad in a fluffy robe, she picked up the phone and ordered some breakfast. After she got dressed and had a much appreciated cup of coffee, she called Charlie to tell him she was going to be late. Charlie quickly asked why but Mac told him she would explain once she got there.

 

Another cup of coffee and some toast later, Mac gathered her things and left the room.

 

* * *

 

It had taken Mackenzie longer than she had thought it would. She looked at her watch while she walked down the front stairs of the police precinct: three hours! She had spent three hours there between talking and going through the stuff CSU had picked from her apartment. She felt uneasy: what Detective Johnson had told her had clearly troubled her. The fucking creep knew where she lived, where she worked and her schedule; he must had spent some time studying her without being seen or detected. For how long had he been following her? How much more did he knew? The detective was pretty sure it was work-related, possibly because the American Taliban broadcast. She had to talk to Charlie.

 

The cab stopped in front of the AWM building and she got out. After getting through security, she took the elevator directly to the 42nd floor, to Charlie's office. Millie, Charlie's assistant, nodded to her and said: "He's been waiting for you. You can go right in."

 

Mac thanked her and knocked on the door before opening it. Charlie raised his eyes from the report he was reading and smiled at her. Mac threw her purse in one of the visitor chairs and tiredly sat down on the other one.

 

"Someone broke into my flat last night." Mac told him before he could ask.

"What?" Charlie asked, confused.

"Someone attacked the doorman and broke into my flat during the show." She explained, defeated. "I've been at the police precinct all morning."

"Robbery?"

"No, he didn't take anything. He destroyed my living-room, though."

"Are you alright?" He asked her, even if the question sounded stupid.

"I've been better." She admitted.

 

Charlie got up from his desk and went around it to stand in front of Mac. He extended his hand and Mac gladly took it; Charlie gave her a light squeeze and urged her to get up.

 

"Come on, I'm sure you haven't eaten anything. We'll go upstairs, order some lunch and drink a nice glass of wine while you tell me everything."

 

* * *

 

At the end, they had spent their lunch talking about News Night and not Mackenzie's situation. It was during coffee that Charlie finally retook the conversation they had started at his office.

 

"What did they tell you?" Charlie asked her, concerned over her well-being.

"He only broke into my flat so they think it's something personal." Mac began. "They're pretty sure it has to do with last week's broadcast." She told him, knowing he would understand which broadcast she was talking about. "I'm sure they'll want to talk to whoever is investigating Will's threats."

"Why are they so sure?" Charlie asked, not sure about the connection between the tho events.

"Everybody with half-a-brain must know Will doesn't write everything on his own. My name appears right after his on the credits."

"What are you not telling me, Mackenzie?" He said, his voice very close to the one her father would use when he suspected she was concealing something.

"Besides destroying my living-room, he went through some drawers in my bedroom." She told him. Then, she took a deep breath and continued. "He took a frame with a picture I had hidden under a stack of papers."

"Of you and Will?" Charlie guessed. Mac nodded and took another sip of her coffee. "And?" He continued, knowing there was something more bothering her.

"He left a note." She paused. Charlie waved his hand, urging her to tell him what did it say. " _Maybe, next time, you'll be home._ " She told him, reciting the note by heart.

"Mackenzie!" He exclaimed, attracting the looks from the few others in the room.

"I know, I know." Mac quickly replied. "I booked an hotel room last night. I'll spend a few nights there before going back home."

"You are not going back to your apartment until they catch this fucking creep." Charlie announced, dead serious.

"Charlie."

"This is non-negotiable, Mackenzie." He simply told her. "I'll call AWN security to see what can be done. In the meantime, a car will pick you up every morning and take you back to the hotel every night."

"I don't need a bodyguard, Charlie." Mac replied while leaning back on the chair and crossing her arms over her chest, slightly annoyed at what she thought it was a bit of an overreaction for his part.

"We'll see." Charlie said after finishing his coffee.

"Charlie, please."

"Mac." He firmly said. "Let's forget for a moment that you should have called me the minute this happened." He began, a bit pleased with himself when he saw Mac looking guilty. "Someone threatened you and I don't take that lightly."

"Me neither." She quickly said, interrupting him. "It scared the shit out of me." She admitted, mostly to herself.

"You need some kind of protection. As I said, I'll talk to security and see what we can do." He told her, clearly indicating with his tone that the discussion was over.

"Can you do something for me?" Mac shyly asked.

"Anything." Charlie sincerely told her.

"Don't tell anyone, especially Will."

"Tell me what?" A voice asked.

 

Mac nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard Will's voice from behind her. She quickly turned around on her chair, her hand over her heart and suddenly pale. "Oh my god!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Will grabbed a chair and sat down at the side of the table, between them.

"My EP has been missing all morning and hasn't been answering her phone. I went to Charlie's office to ask him if he knew anything. It's almost time for the 2 o'clock rundown meeting, you know? So imagine my surprise when Millie told me you were having lunch together." Will said, resting his elbows on the table and looking at them.

"I told Jim I'd be late. Didn't he tell you?" Mac asked Will.

"He did." Will simply said. "Where have you been?"

"I had to take care of a few things." Mac replied. Charlie coughed to hide an snort, earning an stern look from Mac.

"Is everything alright?" Will asked them, confused by their behavior.

"It is." Charlie assured him.

"Are you two conspiring against me?" Will said, half-joking, teasing them.

"Yes." Mac answered while getting up and grabbing her purse. "We'll talk later, Charlie."

"Of course." Charlie replied.

 

Mac began to walk towards the elevators but stopped when she saw that Will wasn't following her. "Will, we're gonna be late. Come on!"

He quickly got up and followed her. "Were you really conspiring against me?"

"Of course we were!" Mac told him.

 

Charlie, from his seat, could heard them bickering on their way to the elevator, and he had to smile at that.

 


	2. Chapter 2

After three days of practically zero to none sleep, Mackenzie was about to go stir crazy. She got through the day thanks to huge amounts of coffee and an occasional Red Bull. She knew it wasn't healthy but she had a job to do and she wouldn't let whoever was after her take that away from her. But it was beginning to affect her job; the staff had noticed something was off with her, Sloan had cornered her that same morning to ask what the hell was wrong with her, Jim had been sending her confused looks all day long, even Jenna - the poor intern that was still scared to death to be working at News Night - had asked after Mac had zoned out during a conversation.

 

The only one who had seemed unaware of everything had been Will, but that had quickly changed after Mac had screwed up during the broadcast. Halfway into the C-block, during an interview with a Senator, Mac had distractedly grabbed the wrong paper and had given Will the wrong information. Once she had noticed it, she had quickly corrected the mistake but it had been too late: Will had had to apologize on air to the Senator and everything had gone to hell.

 

Once the broadcast had been over, she had quickly grabbed her things and stormed out of the control room.

 

* * *

 

 

"This is News Night. I'm Will McAvoy. Good night."

 

Once he heard the "We're clear." from the control room, Will took out his earpiece and leant back in his chair. He took a minute to calm himself down before getting up and leaving the studio. He needed to have a serious talk with his EP. He was walking towards his office to change but he changed his mind. Instead, he went to Mac's office and stormed in without knowing.

 

"What the hell happened tonight?" Will loudly asked as soon as he stepped in. Then, he noticed Mac wasn't alone. "What are you doing here?"

"I was asking Ms. McHale out on a date." Lonny replied, dead serious. For a few seconds, Will believed him until Mac bursted out laughing while Lonny wickedly smiled at him. "You should have seen the look on your face." He teased him.

"Very funny." Will told him.

"I'll wait outside." Lonny said and, without waiting for an reply, he left them alone.

 

Before Will could say anything, Mackenzie raised her hands to stop him. "I screwed up. I know, and I'm sorry, but can we leave this discussion for tomorrow morning? I'm not in the mood to be yelled at."

 

It was then when Will noticed how tired she looked. His face softened a bit, showing some concern. He closed the door and sat down in one of her visitor chairs before loosening his tie. "What happened?" He softly asked her.

"I was distracted and grabbed the wrong notes. It won't happen again." Mac replied without looking at him.

"When was the last time you slept?" Will questioned her, eyebrow raised.

"I'm fine." She quickly told him.

"Not what I asked." Will reminded her.

"I know." Mac simply said.

"Thank God you're not the one in front of the camera or you'd be thanking people for washing us." Will said. Mac raised her eyes to look at him and smiled slightly. "Are you going home?"

"In a bit. I have to finish something."

"Don't stay too late."

"I won't." Mac told him with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

 

Will got up and, after sending her another concerned look, got out of her office and left her alone. Mac sighed deeply and closed her eyes, leaning back on her chair and taking deep breath after deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.  She needed to sleep, she was pretty aware of that, but every time she closed her eyes her mind began to wander about the fucking creep - as she had taken to call the guy - and she ended without being able to sleep.

 

Her hand reached down to open one of her desk's drawers. There, at the back, was the bottle of sleeping pills a doctor had prescribed her when she came back from the Middle East and that she had never opened. Mac took it out and stared at it: she didn't like it but she knew she had to sleep. She looked at the clock hanging on the wall and did a quick calculation: if she took the pill right before leaving, it would start to kick in just after she had something to eat back at the hotel.

 

"Fuck it." She said to herself before opening the bottle and swallowing a pill with a bit of water.

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, after a good night's sleep, Mackenzie feel half-human again. She stepped out of the elevator into the hotel's lobby, her eyes glued to her Blackberry, and walked towards the doors. Just when she was walking by the front desk, the receptionist stopped her.

 

"Ms. McHale!" He said out loud to gain her attention.

Mac changed directions and went to the desk. "Good morning, Josh." She smiled at him.

"Good morning, ma'am." He told her, returning the smile. "You've got mail." He said, handing Mac a white envelope.

Mac hesitated for a moment before accepting it. "Thank you."

"Have a good day." He said.

"You too."

 

Confused, Mac left the hotel and stepped into the waiting car. She wasn't sure if she should open the letter or not. She carefully observed the envelope: her name was printed on it but there wasn't a return address. Against her better judgement, she decided to open it and, once she did, she wished she hadn't.

 

* * *

 

 

The pitch meeting was running longer than it should: too many stories and too little time. Mac had work to do and she was getting tired of the bickering between some of the staff about what they should pursue or not; it didn't help that Will was encouraging them. She was about to interrupt them (or ask them to shut the fuck up, she wasn't sure which one she would pick) when Jenna gently knocked on the glass door.

 

"Mac?" Jenna said.

"Yeah?" Mac replied.

"Charlie wants to see you."

"Thank you." She said, smiling at her and grateful for the interruption. Then, she looked around the table: the staff was waiting for her instructions. "Work on your stories and show me where you are at the 2 o'clock rundown meeting." Mac told them while she gathered her things. She could feel Will's eyes on her and she could imagine the look he was sending her. Instead of acknowledging it, she grabbed her things and left before he could say anything.

 

* * *

 

 

Mackenzie stepped into Charlie's office and looked at the three men waiting for her: she expected Charlie and Detective Johnson to be there but the sight of Lonny made her really nervous. She shook Mark's hand and smiled at Lonny before sitting down in one of the chairs. The men looked at each other, unsure where to begin or who should be the first to talk. Charlie gestured to the Detective to start.

 

"Ms. McHale." He said.

"Mackenzie, please." She corrected him.

"Mackenzie." He began again. "Mr. Skinner gave me the note you found this morning. I spoke with the hotel's manager: it was ordinarily delivered by certified mail at 5:15 this morning, the night receptionist signed it. We'll look for fingerprints but, if he's been as careful as the last time, we provably won't find any." He explained. "Who knew you were staying at The Plaza?" The Detective asked her.

"You, Lonny and Charlie." Mac replied.

"Did you notice someone following you?" He asked next.

"No, I would had said something. I've been using the car service, I don't know how the hell did he find out where I'm staying." Mac told him, slightly irritated.

 

Detective Johnson looked at Charlie and Lonny, clearly inviting them to intervene. They knew how Mackenzie would react once they told her the news and neither wanted to be on the receiving end of Mackenzie McHale's rage.

 

"What?" She asked them. Mac felt she was being left out of something important and her irritation was growing inside her, threatening to spill out at any given time.

"We think you should have protection." Charlie finally said. He mentally counted to three and, right at that moment, Mackenzie jumped out of the chair.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She loudly exclaimed. "I don't need a bodyguard!" Mac firmly told them before she started pacing around the room, looking at the floor, breathing heavily and running her hand through her hair.

"Ms. McHale." Lonny said, trying to gain her attention. He wasn't sure if she was ignoring him or if she didn't really hear him calling her name. He tried once again but got the same result.

Finally, Charlie got up and went around his desk to step in front of her, blocking her way. Mac raised her head and he gently grabbed her shoulders.

"Need a drink?" Charlie asked her.

She wasn't sure if he was kidding or not. "It's too early for that."

"It's never too early, dear." Charlie replied, grinning. He accompanied her to the chair she had been previously occupying and helped her sit down before pouring an small amount of scotch into a glass and handing it to her. Mac drained it in one gulp and gave the glass back to Charlie. While he returned to his seat, Lonny took the other visitor chair and sat down in front of Mac.

"Ms. McHale." He said again, this time getting a response from her. "We think this guy is serious even if, right now, he's not directly threatening you. He'll provably escalate and things could get much worse. Your situation is different from Mr. McAvoy's, we can't force you to accept protection. If you want it, we'll have someone here in less than two hours. It's your choice." Lonny explained.

"Let's wait and see, ok? I don't want protection." Mackenzie firmly told them.

"Mac, they're the experts. You should consider they recommendations." Charlie said.

"And you should find another place to stay." Detective Johnson added.

"I'm going back to my flat. It'll be ready tomorrow." Mac told them.

"You really should reconsider that." The Detective said.

"I'm not going to live in an hotel room until you catch this guy and I'm not changing hotels every time he finds out where I am. I bought one of those very expensive high security doors, I got an alarm installed and my doorman is aware of what's going on. I'm not going to lie to you and say that I'm not scared, because I am, but I'm not going to let that creep take control of my life. I'll continue using the car service, I'll be extra careful, but, tomorrow, I'm going back home."

 

* * *

 

 

Mac stormed out of the elevator and quickly walked her way through the newsroom and towards her office. The staff, after seeing the angry look on her face, stepped out of her way. She forcefully opened her door and she wasn't really surprised to find Will waiting for her.

 

"Take your dirty shoes out of my desk." She told him, sounding more annoyed than she wanted. Will complied but didn't get up from her chair. "Don't you have your own office?" She asked him, not expecting an answer.

Will, who didn't want to make her angrier, got up and let her sit down on her chair. Instead of taking another one, he perched himself on her desk and looked down at her.

"What did Charlie say that got you so pissed off?" He asked her.

"Nothing." Mac quickly replied while putting her glasses on. She grabbed a newspaper and a highlighter but Will took them out of her hands and left them on the desk, out of her reach. She let out and exasperated sigh and looked at him, daring him to say anything more.

Will ignored her glare. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine." Mac replied.

"You'd tell me if there was something wrong, right?" He asked her, concerned.

For a moment, Mac thought about explaining him her situation but she quickly dismissed it. Instead, against her heart, she lied right into his face. "Of course." She said, smiling to ease him but feeling really guilty.

"Ok." Will said, not sure if he should believe her. "I'll let you get back to work." He told her before getting up. He stopped by the door and turned around. "Want to grab lunch later?"

Mac raised her eyes from the article she was reading to look at him, surprised at his invitation. "Uhmm, yes, of course."

Smiling, Will left her office and she got back to work.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been three weeks since the chaos had begun. She was glad to be back at her apartment even if the idea of that creep knowing where she lived freaked her out. Notes kept getting delivered every three days at her building or at AWN, each one more disturbing. She had found flowers in her office one morning and, two nights ago, she had begun receiving strange phone calls at her landline. The police was still investigating but they hadn't found a thing: that guy was a master at covering his tracks.

 

She tried to mask her worry at work, keeping her mind focused on what she was doing and forgetting, even if it was only for a few hours, about the creep that was trying to make her life hell. She knew everyone was a little concerned about her strange behavior: she wouldn't win an Oscar for a wonderful performance but she had managed to convince them that everything was , more or less, all right. Well, almost everyone: Will and Sloan kept asking her what was wrong but she dismissed her questions with a quick _I'm fine_ and a smile.

 

On Friday, once the show was over, she hurried to her office to gather her things. She tried to leave as fast as she could but she wasn't able to avoid some of her staff. She ran into Tess, Kendra and Gary near the elevators, waiting for the rest of the gang to go have a drink.

 

"Hey Mac!" Tess stopped her after she had walked past them with a quick _Have a great weekend, guys_. "Aren't you coming to Hang Chew's?"

"Not tonight, but thank you." Mac replied, smiling. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Bye Mac!" They all said all the same time.

 

She called the elevator and, while she waited, she took out her Blackberry to pass the time. When the doors opened, she quickly stepped inside. Just when they were closing, an arm stopped them.

 

"You're in a hurry tonight." Will told her, stepping in along with Lonny. "Hot date?" He said, apparently teasing but a bit jealous, deep down.

"Yeah." Mac replied. "With a hot bath and a big glass of wine."

"Sounds pretty boring." Will said.

"Whiskey and football doesn't sound much better, Billy." She told him, knowing pretty well what he would do once he got home.

 

Lonny snickered, behind them, and Will turned around to glare at him. "She's right." Lonny said.

"Shut up." Will told him. He turned to look at Mac. "Want a lift home?"

"Oh, no, thank you. I have a car waiting downstairs." Mac answered.

"Since when do you use the car service?" Will asked her, confused. She had always refused to use it, saying she liked to walk home or that she could always call a cab.

"Oh, I only use it sometimes." She lied after realizing she didn't have a better excuse.

 

The elevator reached its destination, preventing Will of continue with his questioning. They got out and walked outside. Will and Lonny escorted her to the waiting car.

 

"Have a good weekend." Will told her, holding the car's door open for her to get in.

"You too." Mac replied, smiling kindly. "Bye Lonny."

"Bye Ms. McHale."

 

Will closed the door and, once the car was on its way, she released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

 

* * *

When, very early Saturday morning, Sloan had called and had invited her to lunch, Mac felt she couldn't say no. She had been neglecting her best friend the past few weeks and, even if she hadn't been really in the mood to go out, Sloan always managed to bright her days with her talking about her economics nonsense and her dating disasters. Besides, truth be told, a morning of shopping with her friend would certainly cheer her up.

 

They met in front of Barneys at Maddison Avenue and proceeded to spend their well-earned money. Two hours later, each woman was holding two bags in each hand while they walked into the restaurant to have lunch. They were laughing and having a great time, something than Mac needed more than she would care to admit. They ordered a bottle of wine while they waited for their lunch to be served.

 

After draining the first glass, Sloan knew it was time to disclose the truth behind that lunch invitation. "Kenzie, what is going on with you?" She directly asked her friend, concerned.

"Way to kill the mood, Sloan." Mac muttered.

"You've been telling me you're fine for the past two weeks but you are not. I might not be the best in human relationships but I can tell when my best friend is going through something while trying to keep it from me." Sloan said, making sure to sound more hurt and disappointed than she really was. Mac looked down at her wine glass, avoiding eye contact with her friend, knowing that she wouldn't be able to hold it together if Sloan gave her the sad-puppy-eyed look she did so well. "Spill it." Sloan urged her.

"Do we really have to do this now?" Mac asked without raising her eyes.

"Don't you trust me?" Sloan replied.

Mackenzie's head went quickly up to look at her friend. "Of course I trust you!" She told her, slightly hurt by her words.

"Then?" Sloan continued pressing her for information.

"I don't want to bother any more people." Mac said, leaning back on her chair and taking a deep breath.

"That's what friends are for." Sloan assured her. "To help each other." She reminded her.

"Alright." Mac say, resigned. She grabbed the wine bottle and poured some of the dark liquid into their glasses before she began explaining what had been going on in her life. "What I'm about to say stays between us, ok?"

"Pinky swear." Sloan teased her, raising her right pinky finger. Amused, Mac entwined her finger with Sloan's before they both bursted out laughing. "Tell me." Sloan told her once they both had calmed down.

"Three weeks ago, I came home to find that my flat had been broken into. Whoever did it, spent his time trashing my living-room and going through my drawers. He took an old picture and left a note. He's been sending me notes, both at home and at work, he sent flowers twice and I've been receiving strange phone calls for the last few days." Mac paused to take a deep breath while Sloan sat there, her mouth hanging open, too astonished to say anything. "NYPD is investigating this, along with AWN Security, but they haven't been able to find anything yet. They think it's related to the American Taliban broadcast but, lately, the notes have become more personal towards me, not my work. They think he might be becoming obsessed with me."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Sloan muttered. "You've been going through all this alone?" She asked, outraged.

"Charlie knows." Mac quickly told her friend.

"Still!" Sloan exclaimed, attracting a few looks from the people around them.

"I'm fine. I spent a few nights at The Plaza while my door was being replaced and my flat was being cleaned up. I have a car picking me up at home every morning and driving me back every night. Security has been increased both at AWN and at my building."

"You went back to your place? Are you nuts?" Sloan told her, trying very hard not to scream at her and making a scene in the restaurant.

"I need to keep control of my life, Sloan, I can't let that creep take that away from me. I know it's not the most sensible decision but I'm being extra careful, ok? Don't worry."

"You could stay with me." She sincerely offered.

"Thank you." Mac told her, grateful. She extended her arm to grab her friend's hand and gently squeezed it. "Charlie's already offered. It wouldn't matter."

"Didn't they offer you protection?" Sloan asked her.

"I refused it." Mac simply said.

"Kenzie!" She exclaimed out loud. Mac hushed her, urging her to keep her voice down. "Sorry."

 

The waiter brought their lunch, an opportunity Mackenzie took to change the subject of their conversation. Sloan reluctantly complied.

 

They were finishing their coffees when Mackenzie's Blackberry beeped, alerting her she had a new email. She grabbed her bag and took out her phone to check it. When she saw the email, her face went pale. Sloan noticed it and carefully touched her friend's arm to gain her attention.

 

"What's wrong?" She asked Mac. Instead of answering, Mac handed her the phone. Sloan took it and looked at the picture on the screen. "Mac?" She asked again, confused and beginning to feel a bit scared.

"He's here." Mac said, confirming Sloan's suspicions. "Oh my God!" Mac whispered while looking around the room searching for someone who looked suspicious.

"Calm down, ok?" Sloan told her, grabbing her hand. "Take a deep breath through your nose and slowly release it through your mouth." Mac followed her directions, trying to stay calm. "Is there someone we can call?"

"Detective Johnson. I have his number saved."

 

Sloan made the call and explained their situation. Detective Johnson told Sloan to stay there, he would come to get them. While they waited, Sloan paid the check and moved her chair to sit as close to Mac as possible. Mac grabbed her hand and didn't let it go the entire time they waited.

 

* * *

At the police precinct, while Mackenzie talked to Detective Johnson, Sloan quietly called Charlie to make him aware of the recent situation. Charlie called Lonny who, just as Mac was leaving the office where she had been, appeared into the squad room.

 

"Lonny?" Mac called him. "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Skinner asked me to escort you to AWM."

 

Mac turned around to look at Sloan, a murderous look on her face, while her friend raised her eyebrows at her, daring Mac to say something. Ignoring them, Lonny walked past them to talk to the Detective.

 

Mac approached Sloan and took her bags from Sloan's hands. "Why did you tell Charlie?" She angrily whispered.

"Because this is serious and he had to know." Sloan quietly replied. "I understand that you're pissed but you're being stubborn. This guy is stalking you, Kenzie."

"I know, ok? I know." Mac told her, slightly defeated, admitting Sloan was right.

"Ready?" Lonny asked them, once his conversation with Detective Johnson was over.

"Let's go." Sloan said, grabbing Mac's arm.

 

* * *

"Why do I feel like being escorted to the principal's office?" Mac thought, out loud, after stepping out of the elevator at the executive floor of the AWN building.

"Have you ever been sent to the principal's office?" Sloan asked her.

"Once, on my senior year. I sneaked out of class to smoke with one of the hot guys of the football team." Mac explained, grinning at the memory of that day. "My parents were pissed as hell."

 

Lonny knocked on Charlie's door before opening it, letting the ladies enter before he got inside behind them and closed the door.

 

"Had a good day of shopping?" Charlie said, trying to lighten the mood beforehand.

"Very funny." Mac told him while she sat down. Sloan mimicked her actions while Lonny remained standing, just behind them.

"What did they tell you?" He asked, getting to the point.

"Nothing useful." Mac quickly replied before Lonny or Sloan could. "They're still investigating. They'll check the security cameras and tell us if they find something."

"Detective Johnson strongly suggested Ms. McHale to get protection." Lonny told Charlie.

"He did?" Charlie and Sloan asked at the same time, looking directly at her.

Mackenzie leant back on her chair and sighed deeply. "Are you ganging up on me?"

"Yes!" Sloan exclaimed. "Maybe, this way, we'll be able to knock some sense into you!"

 

Mac got up from her chair and walked to the windows in Charlie's office. She turned her back at them, staring at the busy streets of New York, while they looked at her, concerned. A few minutes went by, in silence, until Charlie softly spoke.

 

"Could you give us the room, please?"

 

Without saying a word, Sloan and Lonny stepped out and left them alone. Charlie got up and quietly approached her. Mac felt his presence next to her but continued with her eyes staring at window. Charlie noticed she was tense, her arms tightly crossed over her chest, her right foot constantly tapping the floor. He knew her façade was about to crack, he knew she was scared even if she didn't want anyone to know.

 

"You're a strong woman, Mackenzie." Charlie began. "You're an intelligent, amazing, brave and, I repeat, strong woman who's facing a difficult situation and needs some help. You won't be less strong, less amazing or less brave if you acknowledge that you need it. Yet, you'll be slightly less intelligent if you don't." He teased her a bit. "I understand your reluctance, I do, but nobody will think less of you for accepting protection, Mackenzie."

"I know." Mac softly said.

"Then?"

 

Mac turned to look at him, letting her arms fall at her sides, defeated. "Alright, you win, I'll get the   damn bodyguard, but under one condition."

"Name it."

"I don't want anyone to know." Mac told him, even if it was pretty clear who she wanted to keep on the dark.

"You'll have to tell him someday, Mac. He's gonna notice the man following you around." Charlie said, trying to make her understand the situation.

"He won't, Charlie. Whoever you get to follow me like a goddamn puppy will leave and pick me up downstairs, at the lobby, not at the newsroom. If you agree to that, I'll agree to whatever demands you have about my protection. Deal?" She firmly told him.

"Deal."

 

* * *

They spent another hour at Charlie's office, working out the details of Mackenzie's protection with Lonny and AWN Security. When they finally left Charlie's office, Mac was exhausted and only wanted to get home. They got into the elevator and Sloan immediately pressed the button for the News Night floor. Mac looked at her, curious about why, and Sloan quickly explained.

 

"I need something from my office."

 

They rode down in silence. Once in their floor, Lonny and Mac waited by the elevator while Sloan went to her office. It only took her a couple of minutes. She reappeared with a gym bag hanging on her shoulder. Mac raised her eyebrows at her friend, smiling.

 

"Are you going to the gym?" Mac mocked her.

"No, I'm staying with you. These are the spare clothes I keep in my office."

Mac stared at her, her look a mix between gratefulness and annoyance. "You don't have to. I'll be fine."

"I don't care." Sloan told her, stepping inside the elevator once again. "Do it for me, I'll feel better knowing you're not alone."

"Ok." Mac simply replied.

"You don't have to sound so resigned, Kenzie. It'll be fun!!" Sloan cheerfully exclaimed, wanting to cheer her up. "We'll order expensive food, drink good wine and paint each other's nails." She continued, determinately. Lonny snickered, behind them, and Mac laughed out loud at her friends antics. "Wanna come too, Lonny? I think your toenails would look great in red."

 

Both Lonny and Mac ignored her last comment. Instead, Mackenzie put her arm around Sloan's waist and tugged her closer in a half-hug. "Thank you." She softly told her friend.

"As I said, that's what friends are for."


	4. Chapter 4

Monday morning, Lonny had offered to pick Mackenzie up and drive her to the office, where she would meet her new bodyguard. When they approached her office, Mac noticed the lights were on. She opened the door and found a man standing in front of her desk.

"Hey Mike." Lonny greeted him and shook his hand.

"Lonny." He replied. 

Mac carefully observed them: the man was taller than Lonny and as robust as he was. He was dressed in a black suit and a black tie, as if he was taken from one of the Men in Black movies. He was clearly an attractive man, not that Mac cared about that; he was there to protect her, not to end as Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston in _The Bodyguard_. She abandoned that line of thought when Lonny called her name.

"Ms. McHale, this is Michael Tyler. Michael, Mackenzie McHale." Lonny introduced them. "I'll leave you two alone." On his way out, he stopped next to Mac. "You have forty-five minutes until he gets here." He whispered.

"Thanks." She replied, perfectly aware of what he meant.

Lonny left the office and left them alone. An uncomfortable silence surrounded them, neither of them sure what to do or what to say.

To break the ice, Michael spoke first. "I've been told that you're a reluctant client."

Mac walked behind her desk and left her purse and briefcase before taking out her coat. "Aren't all your clients a bit reluctant to get protection?" She asked him but he didn't answer, he only stared at her. "How does this work?" Mac continued, sitting on her chair and inviting him to do the same.

"Wherever you go, I follow." He simply replied.

"Mr. Tyler, I think you'll have to be more specific."

"What do you want to know?" He asked her.

"Are you always this gruff?" Mac said with an smile on her face.

"You're not the type of client I'm used to work for. I'm very serious about my job and, right now, my job is to ensure your safety. I have a set of rules I like to follow and it seems you aren't going to be too eager to carry them out." Michael explained.

"You don't know me." She told him.

"I'm good at reading people, Ms. McHale." He simply said.

"Let's hear those rules." Mac replied, crossing her arms and leaning back on her chair.

"Right now, there are two secure places: your apartment and this building. Whenever you step outside these places, I go with you. This is non-negotiable."

"Alright." She said, resigned. "Next?"

"I'll pick you up every morning, at your doorstep, drive you to work and escort you to your office. Then-"

"No." Mac interrupted him. "You said this is a secure building. I can take an elevator alone, thank you very much." She firmly told him. A few seconds later, her face softened. "I'm not trying to make your job more difficult, I swear, but I don't want anyone here to know what's going on."

"I'll escort you to security, downstairs, and wait for you there when you're ready to leave." He proposed.

"Deal."

"If you have to leave one of the secure places, call me and I'll come as soon as possible." Mac nodded. "Always walk besides me or a little ahead, never behind. Do not wander of." He took an small device from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. Mac took it, confused, and stared at him waiting for an explanation. "It's a panic button. It has to be with you all the time. When activated, it alerts the police and myself. It also has a GPS tracker."

"Aren't you overreacting?" Mac asked him.

"No, I'm not." He simply replied. "If you want to go somewhere, I'd really appreciate if you'd give me some notice." Then, he leant forward and rested his arms on Mac's desk. "Ms. McHale, we're not enemies nor I'm here to make your life more difficult." Michael told her, softening his tone a little bit. "I know you are not comfortable with this situation, I understand, but we have to work together on this."

"You could start by not calling me Ms. McHale all the time. If you're going to become my new best friend, we better begin by using our names." Mac sarcastically told him.

"How should I call you?" He mocked her.

"Mackenzie, or Mac, will be fine."

"Then, I'm Mike."

"Ok." She simply replied.

Michael stood up and adjusted his jacket. Then, he handed her a business card. "Save my number on your phone, the first one of the list, and program it on your speed-dial." He told her. "I'll leave you to your work. Call me when you're ready to leave tonight."

"I will."

* * *

 

It took them a few heated discussions and some adjustments for both parts but, by day five, Mackenzie was getting used to have Mike following her around. Despite his tough appearance, Mike was a nice guy, with a wicked sense of humor that Mac really appreciated. She was getting to know him pretty well thanks to the long car rides between her apartment and the AWN building.

After Friday's broadcast was over and the meeting about Sunday's special show ended, Mac walked back to her office, ready to go home. She was gathering her things when Sloan irrupted into the room, without knocking, and looking ready to go.

"Let's go to Hang Chew's." Sloan announced, her voice making Mac clear that it wasn't a request.

"I'm tired, Sloan, and Mike is waiting for me downstairs." Mac told her friend.

"One drink." Sloan replied, her eyes looking directly into Mac's daring her to say no.

"Ok. One drink."

Together, they walked to the elevators. They stepped out on the ground floor and found Mike talking with one of the security guards.

"Ready?" He asked Mac when they approached him.

"Sloan wants to go to Hang Chew's." Mac told him. Mike sent her an annoyed look and Mac quickly explained. "It was a last minute decision. I know you like some notice but my friend here-" she pointed to Sloan. "Barged into my office five minutes ago and demanded I accompany her."

"Hey!" Sloan exclaimed.

"Give me an hour." Mac told Mike, ignoring Sloan's offended cry.

"Alright."

They left the building and walked to Hang Chew's. Just before Mike opened the door, Mac stopped him with a hand on his arm. It was Friday night; the staff would be already there. Mike agreed to let them go in first and he would follow a few minutes later. Once both women were inside, they found a quiet booth to sit down and ordered their drinks. Mike got in two minutes later and sat at a table close to them.

"He's a cutie." Sloan told Mac, looking at the man with an eye fixed on them all the time.

"And married." Mac replied, laughing at her friend.

"What a shame." Sloan murmured under her breath.

Their drinks arrived and they enjoyed them while talking and gossiping about everything they could think about. They were having a great time. Their drinks banished pretty quickly and they asked for a second round. 

"It'll be nice to have you in my ear on Sunday." Sloan told Mac, out of the blue. Mac didn't reply, and focused her attention on the cocktail glass in front of her for a few seconds before she raised it to take a sip. "What?" Sloan asked, confused.

"I won't be producing Sunday night." Mac confessed.

"What?" Sloan asked again.

"It's not fair that Will got benched and I didn't."

"Will got benched?" Sloan asked, surprised. "I thought he took himself out!" She exclaimed.

"Fuck." Mac said out loud. "This stays between us." Mac told her. When Sloan nodded in agreement, Mac continued. "It was Charlie's decision." She explained. "I'm as responsible for the American Taliban editorial as he is. If he's being left out because of it, I'm out too. I told Charlie this morning and he'll tell Don once his show is over, tonight."

"Kenzie." Sloan tried to intervene but Mac didn't let her.

"We wrote it together, Sloan."

"Does he know?"

"Will?" Mac asked.

"Yeah." Sloan replied.

"No, he doesn't."

"You should tell him." Sloan told her. "He knows we all have his back but he'll appreciate you taking the fall with him."

"He doesn't need to know."

"He does." Sloan firmly said. "As well as the other situation."

"Don't start, please." Mac groaned. "I'm a grown woman and I make my own decisions. Stop treating me as a little kid."

"Stop acting like a little kid." Sloan spat back. "He's your friend, he cares about you."

"Right." Mac sarcastically laughed before taking a sip from her drink. "That's why he's been making my life hell for the past two months, fuck, for more than a year. That's why he brought Brian fucking Brenner to look over my shoulder while I whored myself out to save the ratings and, most important, to save him. That's why I'm still waiting to hear a thank you from him for spending almost a week at the hospital with him. That's why he tries to hurt me every chance he gets. He does all these things because he cares about me." Mac took a deep breath to calm herself down before continuing. "I'm tired, Sloan, I'm tired of being his punching bag. I know I hurt him, believe me, I know. How much longer will I have to endure this? I made a mistake and there isn't a day I don't regret it. I have punished myself for so long ..." Mac paused, making Sloan's heart break a little. "But haven't I suffered enough for my mistake? Why does he love to remind me time and time again that I broke his heart? Does he think I don't know? Doesn't he know that I broke mine too? That it is still broken?" Sloan stayed silent, letting Mac get everything out of her chest. "I left a job I loved for him; I left the fucking country to go report a war. I've been shoot at, I've slept in caves, I've been stabbed, for crying out loud! I almost died because of it and I have a nice fucking scar that reminds me about it every fucking day." She ended her rant. Sloan continued staring at her in silence, knowing there was more. "I'm tired. I'm tired of my life being about him."

"You're still in love with him." Sloan softly said.

"Of course I am!" Mac admitted before she could really think about what she was saying. "Would I be here if I wasn't?"

* * *

 

On Sunday night, Mac was pouring herself a glass of wine, while she waited for News Night to start, when her doorbell rang. She left the bottle on the kitchen counter and grabbed her glass before going to the door. She didn't know who would be visiting at that hour, everybody was working that night. It must be someone she knew, her doorman had a list of people allowed into the building (at Mike's insistence).

She looked through the peephole and she almost dropped her glass when she saw who was waiting outside her door. She quickly opened the bolts and then the door.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice a mix between surprise and annoyance.

"Hey." Will simply replied.


	5. Chapter 5

Mac stared at him, dumfounded. What the hell was he doing there? Why was he looking so good with his faded jeans and deep blue sweater? Will, leaning on her door frame, looked at her with a shy smile on his face. He knew he had shocked her and, deep down, he felt a bit proud of himself.

"Are you gonna let me in?" He finally asked after several seconds of just staring at each other.

"Yeah, right." Mac replied before stepping aside to let him enter her apartment. Once he was inside, she closed the door and followed him to her living room. In the five seconds it had taken her to close the door, he had already made himself comfortable on her couch and had the remote on his hand, switching from CNN to ACN to watch the anniversary coverage that was about to start. "Want something to drink?" She asked him, not knowing what else to say.

"Some of that wine will be fine." He replied, pointing to the glass she was holding.

Mac walked to the kitchen and left her glass next to the bottle. Then, she opened a cupboard to get a wineglass for Will. She poured some wine into his glass and stared at her own for a few seconds before draining it in two big gulps and pouring herself another one. She got back into the living room and handed Will his glass. He replied with a quick thank you before returning his attention to the TV screen in front of him. Mac felt a bit underdressed in her calf-length colorful leggings and red tank top so she went to her bedroom to grab her short black robe before sitting down next to Will. 

"Take your feet off my table." She told him, her words accompanied with a non-so-gentle kick to his legs. 

"It was worth a shot." Will simply replied, pulling his feet down.

They watched the entire A-block in silence. Mac kept her sight on the screen, trying to ignore the fact that Will was sitting besides her on the couch. Meanwhile, Will glanced over to look at Mac every few minutes, waiting for her to say something. When the first commercial break began, Mac jumped out of her seat and walked to the kitchen without saying a word. Will quickly got up and followed her.

"Why aren't you at work?" He dared to ask.

"You're supposed to have the flu. What are you doing here?" Mac asked back.

"I called to wish everybody a good show. When I asked to be put through the control room to talk to you, Don answered and told me you weren't there." Will replied while moving to stand in front of her, at the other side of the island. "Why?"

"It doesn't matter." She told him.

"It does. To me."

"It didn't seem right for me to be there when you had been left out so I told Charlie I wouldn't be producing." Mac explained to him. "I joined today's meetings via Skype, though." 

"Is that the reason why you've been so subdued lately?" 

"Yeah." Mac replied, feeling bad for lying to him. It wasn't entirely a lie, she had other reasons for keeping her distance but one of them was the anniversary coverage. "Elliot and Sloan are doing a great job." She said, changing the subject.

"They are." 

When they heard that the show was back on, they returned to the couch to watch it. For the rest of the broadcast, they talked to each other and shared their thoughts about what was going on. It felt weird, in a way: it reminded them of the old times, when they would spend hours sitting together on the couch watching the news or old movies, Will spooning Mac or him laying down with her on top of him, their bodies close, sharing a kiss every few minutes.

Will knew he didn't have a reason to stay any longer but he didn't want to leave. Since he had learnt that Mac hadn't heard the voicemail message, he had been trying to get closer, to slowly begin to trust her with his heart again. It wasn't an easy task, he had years of resentment flowing through his brain. And bringing Brian back hadn't helped, at all. He was really sorry for that, he knew he had to tell Mac, but something inside him prevented him of doing it. For her part, Mackenzie wanted Will to stay, despite all her current problems and her trying to avoid telling him, she was glad he had decided to come. She enjoyed his company, she enjoyed having him close. She took every opportunity she could, she grabbed every inch he gave her and held onto it as if her life depended of it. 

Mac took his presence as a good sign of their road to recovery. She decided to test the boundaries a little more. "Want something to eat?" She asked Will, turning her head to look at him.

Will stared at her for a few seconds, happy to see how relaxed she seemed leaning back on her couch, with her head resting in one of her fluffy cushions, looking at him with her blue wonderful eyes. "What do you have?" He finally asked back.

"Not much." Mac admitted. "But we could order Chinese, or pizza."

"Chinese sounds great."

Mac got up from her comfy spot and walked to the kitchen to grab the menu from her favorite place. She dialed the restaurant's number and placed the order, without bothering to check what Will wanted. She knew all his favorite foods, she also knew he always ordered the same. Will stood near the door, amused. It had been years since they had been together but they still knew each other pretty well. He went back to the living room to grab their wine glasses and returned to the kitchen to refill them. While Mac took out plates and cutlery, Will sat down in a barstool. He looked around: even if it was a different apartment than the one Mac had when they were together, everything looked very similar. He noticed she had everything distributed the same way and that made him smile. Her fridge door was filled with pictures so he stood up to look at them. He first looked at the ones of her family: he remembered her oldest nephew and niece but he didn't know the other kids in those photos, he assumed her brothers had had more children. Then, he saw one of Mac and Jim, both wearing black t-shirts and cargo pants. Under that, there was one of Mac and Sloan, all dressed up, hanging onto each other with silly grins on their faces. He smiled at the picture of the News Night staff from the one year anniversary party at his apartment. But an almost hidden picture was the one that really caught his attention. He carefully took it and showed it to Mac.

"Why the hell is your hair blonde in this picture?" He asked her, confused as hell. Mac grabbed the picture from his hand and bursted out laughing. "What?" Will asked again.

"I lost an stupid bet with Tuck and Morris." Mac told him. At Will confused look, she explained. "They're two of the Marines from the unit I was embedded with. We became very good friends." She returned the picture to Will. "One night, after a very stressful day, we ended drinking cheap vodka and playing poker. We were pretty drunk and I had a very good hand. They knew it so we forgot about the money and decided to bet something different. Long story short, I lost the hand and had to dye my hair blonde and keep it like that, at least, for two weeks."

"Do you still talk to them?" Will asked her while returning the picture to its rightful place.

"Morris died just before I came back to New York." Mac told him. He wanted to ask what happened but the look on her face stopped him. "Tuck is still there. We email each other from time to time and he always calls for my birthday."

Mac was grateful that the doorbell rang at that moment, preventing her from having to explain more things about her time embedded. Some memories were really painful and she didn't want to remind Will (or herself) why she went in the first place. She offered to go downstairs to pick up the food but Will told her he would go. Meanwhile, she set everything on the breakfast bar.

* * *

 

They finished the bottle of wine and opened another one. The food was great and they enjoyed each other company. It had been a while since they had been so relaxed around each other and it felt nice. The mood was wonderful. When he had decided to go to her place, Will knew he had and wanted to apologize but it wasn't as easy as he had thought it would be. He poured himself another glass of wine and refilled Mac's once she had drunk the remaining liquid on her glass. She was pleasantly buzzed and he was getting there. It was the right time to bring up the subject.

"Mac?" He said, surprisingly shy.

"Yes?" She replied, confused at the sudden change in his mood.

"I'm sorry about the Brian thing." He told her before he could change his mind. "It was a pretty bad call. I thought it would make me feel better but it didn't. It was a stupid thing to do and I'm sorry."

Mac didn't know what to say. It had been more than two months since that had happened: why was he apologizing now? She looked at him, a blank expression on her face, waiting for him to say something more.

"Ok." Mac finally said.

"That's all?" He asked a bit incredulously. 

"What do you want me to say?" She replied, getting up from her seat. "You brought Brian with the sole purpose of hurting me and you were kind enough of making it pretty clear. What were you expecting? A don't worry about it, it's fine? It's not, Will." She paused for a few seconds, putting her thoughts in order. "You've been punishing me since I came back and I never said a word, thinking I deserved it because I had hurt you. But you know what? I had enough."

"Mackenzie." He said while getting up.

"I think you should leave." Mac told him.

"No." Will firmly told her.

"No?" She asked him, annoyed.

"No." He replied. "You're right, I did it to hurt you and I'm sorry. I'm done, ok? Because I realized hurting you also hurts me, Mac. I've been hurting you and you did nothing but take it. You've been staying by my side, unconditionally, even when I tried to push you away." He stopped to loot directly at her eyes. "I never thanked you for taking care of me the week I was at the hospital, I haven't thanked you for what you did tonight. It means more than you think."

"You don't have to thank me." Mac whispered.

"Yes, I do." Will replied, slowly approaching her. "Thank you, Mackenzie." He said.

Will stood in front of her, with just a few inches between them. Before he could change his mind, he gathered her into his arms. At first, Mac didn't return the hug, still astonished by his words. Will didn't give up, he continued embracing her, he even pulled her a little bit closer. Finally, Mac relaxed into his arms and rested her head on his chest, her hands finding their way to gently caress his back.

When Mac raised her head, she saw something in his eyes that confused her even more. With their arms still around each other, Will looked down to stare at her eyes. He could see and feel her confusion, he was confused to, but, right at that moment, there was only one thing he wanted to do. Slowly, his head descended until his lips softly touched hers. That first kiss was chaste and tender. The second one had more passion into it.

Things were about to escalate very quickly so Mac stopped him before things could go any further.

"Billy." She told him.

Will understood her fears. It was the point of no return. He hadn't fully forgiven her, they both were aware of that, but he wanted to. "I'm working on it." He whispered. "I won't regret it."

"You still hadn't told me what was in the fucking voicemail, Will." Mac reminded him.

"I know." He admitted. "But I will. Soon."

Mac tried to get free of his arms but Will didn't let her. "Billy."

"I'm sure." He assured her.

"You're sure now. Will you still be sure tomorrow? And next week? Because I'm not sure I'll be able to take another blow, Will. I'm not sure I'll survive if you change your mind, Billy. Not right now."

"It won't be easy, nothing really is between us, Mackenzie, it never has been. Give me tonight? We'll work something out in the morning, but let's have tonight. You and me, nothing else matters right now."

After a few seconds, Mac nodded. Will smiled at her before capturing her lips into another kiss. Slowly, they walked their way to her bedroom, sharing quick kisses between removing their clothes. They finally laid down on her bed, facing each other, clad only in their underwear. Will lovingly tucked her hair behind her ear before he moved closer to kiss her again. Carefully, Mac rolled onto her back and Will climbed on top of her.

Their lovemaking was slow and tender, full of unsaid feelings and words. They took their time to get to know each other again, exploring their bodies and reactions to different touches and caresses. They fell asleep holding each other, Mac tucked into his side with her head resting on his shoulder. But when Will woke up the next morning, he found himself alone.


	6. Chapter 6

For once in her life, Mackenzie was glad that Will wasn't going to anchor News Night on Monday. They had told everybody that he had the flu so, in order for that to be credible, he had to also stay Monday at home. She appreciated the extra time she had before facing him: she really needed it. What happened on Sunday had been both confusing and unexpected: waking up, naked, in Will's arms for the first time in five years had scared her. The feeling had been so overwhelming that she had gotten up and left before he woke up. She wasn't sure what to say to him, or how to act after what had happened. Was he really working on forgiving her? Did he really mean what he said? Or his words were just spoken out of gratefulness? Or even worse, pity? Were they back together?

 

Her mind wouldn't stop. She was staring at the open newspaper in front of her, highlighter in hand, deep in her thoughts, when Sloan walked into her office and plopped down in one of the chairs before Mac's desk.

 

"Charlie just told me I'm subbing for Will tonight. I though Elliot would be at eight and me at ten, not that I would have to anchor News Night!" Sloan quickly said.

Mac raised her head, startled. "What?" She asked her friend.

"Are you alright?" Sloan replied after seeing the lost look on Mac's face.

"Yeah, just tired." Mac told her. "What were you saying?"

"I'm your anchor for tonight." She repeated.

"I know." Mac smiled. "Are you ready? I run a very tight show." She asked Sloan, messing with her.

"It'll be fun!"

 

* * *

 

 

Tuesday and Wednesday had been two taut days at the News Night newsroom. The tension between Mac and Will hadn't gone unnoticed to anyone working there. They had been civil, speaking only when it was strictly necessary, walking on eggshells around each other. While Mac was pretty bewildered about everything, Will was feeling a bit hurt that she had left without saying anything or even leaving a note.

 

Finally, Thursday afternoon, after the last rundown meeting, Will decided that enough was enough. Determined, he left his office and stormed into Mackenzie's office without knocking. "We have to talk about what happened Sunday night."

" _What happened Sunday night?_ " Will heard Sloan ask. He looked around but he didn't see her.

"Where the hell are you?" He said out loud. Instead of answering, Mac turned her computer screen. Will saw Sloan happily waving at him from her office at Columbia.

"We'll talk later." Mac told her.

" _Wait! Don't leave me like this! I wanna know-_ " Mac ended the Skype call before Sloan could finish the sentence and returned her screen to its position.

"You're gonna get so much shit for that." Will said, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'll manage." Mac replied before inviting him to sit down. "I'm sorry for leaving like I did but I needed time to think." She told him before he could say anything.

"Do you regret it?"

"Do you?" She quickly asked back.

"I don't." Will firmly said. "But you do." He guessed.

"I'm not sure, Will. Everything was pretty unexpected and went too fast. I think we weren't ready to take that step. There are so many things that we have to talk about, so many words still unsaid ..." She took a moment to take a deep breath. "It's not that easy."

"I know it's not, Mackenzie. But it can be, right?" Will said, slightly smiling, repeating the words she had written on that pad more than a year ago. He understood her fears, he really did. He even shared some of them, but he was willing to work together with her to overcome them.

 

Mac returned the smile, touched. She just nodded in agreement. Will stood up and went around her desk. He sat down on its edge, in front of her, and gently grabbed her chin to raise her head. "We have a show to do. Let me take you out for dinner afterwards and we'll talk."

"Tomorrow, ok? Then we won't have to worry if it gets late."

"Tomorrow it is."

 

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Then, out of the blue, Will grabbed her hand and made her stand up before he pulled her into a tight hug. Mac immediately relaxed into his arms, enjoying the closeness of their bodies. Will softly caressed her hair while Mac hid her face in the space between his neck and his shoulder.

 

"Don't keep things from me, please." Will whispered. "Don't run away again."

Mac closed her eyes, trying to hold the tears at bay. "I won't."

 

Will gently released her from the embrace but kept his hands on her waist. Mac opened her eyes and smiled sadly at him. Will leant to give her a quick peck on the lips. "I'm gonna get ready." He told her.

 

He tenderly squeezed her shoulders and left. Mac let herself fall down on her chair and sighed deeply. _Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll tell him about the threats._ She thought.

 

* * *

 

 

That night, the show went smoothly, as it hadn't in a long time. After finishing some things in the control room, Mac returned to her office, more than ready to go home. She opened her door and found Mike standing there, waiting.

 

"We have to talk." He said as soon as she set a foot into the room.

"What are you doing up here?" She asked him, slightly pissed.

"McAvoy left ten minutes ago, don't worry."

 

Mac dropped her things on her desk and sat down on her chair. "What's going on?"

"I talked to Detective Johnson today. As you know, we've been intercepting everything you receive from that guy." When she nodded, he continued. "Where are not sure why, but the nature of the notes and deliveries has changed in the last few days."

"Changed how?" Mac asked him, concerned.

"At first, we thought that the perp was angry about the American Taliban broadcast; the time was right and his notes suggested that. Stalkers usually become attached to the object of their actions, we noticed that when his notes and gifts turned from angry to somewhat romantic, for a lack of a better word. He's obsessed with you, Mac, he wants to gain your attention. I'm sure he knows you have protection, but he hasn't decreased his efforts to make you notice him."

"Why the hell are you telling me this? I don't want to know!" She angrily exclaimed.

"Something changed, ok? He's pissed and we don't know why. His last note tells us he's becoming more dangerous. He had it delivered with this." He told her before handing her an envelope she hadn't noticed before. Mac carefully opened it and gasped when she saw what was inside. "Do you recognize this?" Mike asked her.

"It's the picture he took from my flat." Mac softly said. "Why is my head blacked out? Why did he scratch Will's face?" She took another look at the picture before leaving it on her desk. "What did the note say?"

"Mine." Mike simply replied.

"Oh God." Mac said, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

"He's getting sloppier: he left a fingerprint this time. NYPD is running it to see if they can identify him."

"Ok. So, what now?" Mac said, resigned.

"Now, I take you home. We're working on it, we'll get him." Mike assured her.

 

* * *

 

 

Mike stopped the car at a red light, a few blocks from the AWN building. Mackenzie was being overly quiet during the way to her apartment and it concerned him. He knew he had scared her with the news about the perp but he also knew he had to tell her.

 

Suddenly, something hit them from behind and the car jerked forward, crashing into the car before them. He heard the loud noise of pieces getting broken and the yelp of surprise from the woman sitting on his right. Mike quickly unfastened his seat belt and jumped out of his car, just in time to see a black car speeding away. He looked at the plate and made a mental note. He saw the driver of the other vehicle also getting out so he took out his cell and called 911 while he went to check on Mac. He explained what had happened to the operator and, before he hung up, sirens could already be heard approaching them.

 

He looked at Mac and began to check for injuries. He noticed that she had her hand on her neck and that her face had a painful expression. "Don't move." He told her when he saw she was about to unfasten her seatbelt. He leant over to do it for her. "What hurts?" He asked, concerned but remaining very calm.

"My neck." Mac said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Did you hit your head?"

"I don't think so." She replied.

"Help is on the way. I'm gonna check the other driver. Don't move, ok? Stay inside the car until the ambulance gets here."

 

He didn't wait for an answer before he walked away. He was relieved once he learnt that the other driver was fine. A police car arrived along with an ambulance. He quickly directed the paramedics to Mac after assuring them that he and the other man were alright. He explained what he knew to the responding officers, glancing every few seconds to his car, trying to see what they were doing to Mac.

 

Meanwhile, two paramedics approached Mac. While the man began preparing the equipment, the woman spoke to Mac. "Hi, dear. My name's Alex and this guy over here is Derek. Does your neck hurt?" Alex asked her after a quick observation, carefully taking away Mac's hand from its place on her neck.

"Yeah." Mac simply said.

"Ok. Anything else?"

"Not yet." She half-joked.

"Can you tell me your name, dear?"

"Mackenzie."

"Well, Mackenzie, I'm gonna ask you a couple of questions and then I'll check your neck. While I do that, Derek is going to ask you more questions to fill the paperwork. Once we're done, we'll stabilize you and get you to the Presbyterian ER so they can do some X-rays and give you a nice dose of painkillers. How does that sound?"

"Pretty good, except for the ER part." Mac replied, distracted as she looked down at the pulse oximeter that it had just been placed on her finger.

"I know, everybody says that." Alex said, smiling kindly at her. "Can you move your head?"

"Yes, but it hurts."

"Numbness? Dizziness? Blurred vision? Tiredness?"

"I'm always tired." Mac told her, laughing softly but immediately regretting it when the action caused more pain on her neck.

"Not a good idea right now, dear." Alex said.

"I'm a bit dizzy."

"Ok." She replied. "Derek, get ready the brace and the stretcher and find the man that was with her, please." She told the younger man.

 

Alex carefully placed her fingers on Mac's neck, first checking her pulse and then gently palpating the area. Mac hissed in pain a couple of times and sent the other woman a murderous look. Just as Alex was finishing, Mike appeared behind her along with Derek.

 

"How is she?" Mike asked the paramedic.

"Are you her husband?" Alex said, gladly accepting the neck brace Derek had handed her.

"Private security." He replied.

"Wow. You must be a very important girl." She continued, removing Mac's necklace before placing the brace around her neck and fastening it with Derek's help. "Can you move your hands and feet?" Mac showed her that she could. "Very well. We'll check your blood pressure and then move you to the stretcher, ok?"

 

Alex let Derek do the job while she took Mike aside for a minute. "I think she just has whiplash but we need to get her to ER to do a CT scan or a MRI to rule out other injuries. You should call her emergency contact, she'll need someone to stay with her when she’s discharged." At his slightly panicked look, Alex smiled and squeezed his arm. "Don't worry, we'll ask her."

 

They returned to Mackenzie's side. Mike went to talk to her while Derek shared his notes with Alex. "No trouble breathing. Saturation at 96%. Pulse, 83. BP 95/60."

"Ok. We'll need an IV line and a bag of fluids." She told him. "Is everything ready?"

"Yeah."

 

With the help of the ambulance driver and Mike, they transferred Mac from the car seat to the stretcher. Once she was secured, they moved her to the waiting ambulance. Mike followed her closely and climbed into the ambulance before they could stop him. Alex and Derek got in after him and closed the doors.

 

"Sit there-" Alex told Mike, pointing to a narrow bench at the end of the ambulance. "And try to not get in the way."

"Yes ma'am." Mike replied.

"Warren!" She yelled to the driver. "Let's go! And drive carefully!"

 

While Alex grabbed the supplies she needed, Derek sat next to Mac to fill the rest of the paperwork.

"Mackenzie, I need to ask you some more questions."

"Fine." She replied.

"Last name?"

"McHale."

"Age?"

"You shouldn't ask that to a lady. It's rude." Mac told him very seriously. Derek, unsure, turned to look at Alex who simply grinned. Then, he heard Mike snort.

"She's messing with you." Mike clarified.

"Sorry." Mac said even if she didn't really mean it. "Thirty-seven."

"Allergies?"

"Nothing that I know of."

"Previous spinal injuries?"

"None."

"Is there something on your medical record we should know about?"

"Stab wound, 2009, right lumbar region, they had to remove a few inches of my small intestine. Occasional panic attacks; the medication is in my purse."

"Any other medication?" He asked after checking her purse.

"Birth-control pills."

"Alright." Derek said, smiling down at her. "It's a short ride; we'll be there in no time."

 

* * *

 

 

When the ambulance arrived at New York Presbyterian ER, two doctors and a nurse were already waiting for them. The rear door opened and the paramedics quickly got out before they slowly descended the stretcher.

 

"Female, 37. Car accident with possible cervical injury. Pulse 85. BP was 95/60, went up to 110/65 after we put an IV with fluids. Sat 96%. Glasgow 15. Airway is clear. Complains of neck pain, no numbness. Some dizziness present. Motor and sensory functions preserved." Alex explained while handing the record to one of the doctors.

"Box 3." The older doctor ordered and they began moving.

"Mackenzie." The other doctor said after checking her name on the chart. "I'm Dr. Kim. We're going to take a look at your neck now. Tell us immediately if you begin to feel any numbness, blurred vision or you have any difficulties breathing, ok?"

"Ok." Mac simply replied, feeling a bit scared at all the fuss around her.

"Mac." Mike called her while walking very fast to be able to be right next to her. "Who's your emergency contact?"

"Oh, shit." Mac murmured.

"What?" Mike asked, very concerned.

"It's Will."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay!  
> While writing this chapter I realized I had messed up the timeline of the story. I've changed a couple of things in the first chapter but nothing really important. To put everything in the proper context, this chapter is set 7 weeks after "The Greater Fool", 6 weeks since the events in chapter 1.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading and for your lovely comments! :)

Charlie paced up and down the front entrance of the Presbyterian ER.

 

When he had received the call, twenty minutes ago, his heart had stopped. He recalled Michael's voice, trying to sound calm and reassuring, but his mind had only registered three words: car, accident and Mackenzie. He had been out of the door and hailing a cab by the time his conversation with Mike had ended. He got to the hospital a few minutes after them and found Mike waiting for him. The bodyguard explained, in more detail, what had happened and assured him that Mackenzie was fine (or as fine as she could be after a fucking car accident). The doctors were working on Mac but they allowed him to spend a couple of minutes with her. She bombarded him with questions that he calmly answered: yes, Will had been reached; yes, he had spoken with him; no, he wasn't pissed, he was worried; yes, he was on his way. Mac had made him promise that he would wait for Will outside so, there he was, waiting for hurricane McAvoy to arrive.

 

Charlie heard Will before he saw him. "Charlie!" He yelled, almost running towards him with Lonny right behind him.

"She's fine." Charlie told him, once again, as he had done at least fifteen times, over the phone, in the last ten minutes.

"What the hell happened?" Will asked him, out of breath.

"A car hit hers from behind." He replied, leaving the rest of the details for later.

"Was she in a cab?" Will asked again. Charlie looked at Lonny, slightly panicked. Will caught the look between them and glared at his boss and friend. "What? What do you two know that I don't?"

"Will, I'll explain later, ok? Now you have to calm down before you go inside."

"I don't need to calm the fuck down, Charlie!" Will yelled. "I need to know what the hell is going on so start talking before I begin punching people and, I swear to God, the first one WILL BE FOR YOU!"

 

They were attracting the glares of the few people around them. Charlie, wanting to avoid a scene and the consequent article on Page Six, grabbed Will by his sweater and dragged him to a secluded corner.

 

"Listen to me, William Duncan McAvoy!" Charlie angrily hissed. "You'll calm the fuck down because I say so! The woman lying on a bed inside is like a daughter to me. She's in pain, with a fucking brace on her neck, fucking scared and, God knows why, asking for you. They have to take her to a MRI but they can't. You know why? Because she refuses to sign the fucking consent until she sees you, because she knows you won't be alright until you see that she's alright. She's there, in fucking ER, thinking more about you than herself. So you'll calm the fuck down or I'll be the one throwing punches at you until you are!"

"I'll hold him down while you do it." Lonny muttered.

 

Will took a deep breath and decided to ignore Lonny's remark. He rubbed his eyes while trying to compose himself. Once he was sure he was calm enough, he opened his eyes and looked at Charlie. "Where is she?"

"Trauma 3." Charlie simply replied.

 

Without another word, Will left them and walked inside. With the help of a very young-looking nurse, he found the exam room where Mackenzie was. He stopped in front of the windows, looking at the sight before him: a doctor was talking to Mac while two nurses worked around them. He was about to enter the room when the doctor saw him and signaled him to wait outside. A few seconds later, the doctor joined him in the hall.

 

"I'm Dr. Kim." He introduced himself.

"Will McAvoy." He said.

"Mackenzie's condition is stable. She's conscious, alert and cooperative. We did a full neurological exam and everything seems to be fine but, to stay on the safe side and rule out other possible complications, we want to do a MRI." The doctor explained to Will. "She hasn't signed the consent, yet. I'll let you spend a few minutes with her and, please, make sure she signs the paperwork." He said, handing Will an iPad.

"Thank you, Doctor." Will told him.

 

Dr. Kim kindly smiled at him and left. Will took a deep breath, calming himself down once again, before he carefully opened the door. He let the nurses leave the room before he got in. Nothing could had prepared him for the sight of Mackenzie laying on an hospital bed. The brace around her neck looked enormous in comparison to her small frame. She had her eyes closed, her face showing the emotional roller coaster she was feeling. They had changed her clothes for a white gown and a white sheet covered her legs. Will could see the wires going from under the gown to the machine that steadily beeped along her heartbeat. She also had a pressure cuff around her right arm and a pulse oximeter attached to her right index finger.

 

Will walked to the bed, slowly, trying to not scare her. He left the iPad on the bed before he took her hand and gently squeezed. Then, he leant down to kiss her forehead while he carefully tucked her hair behind her ear. "Hey." He softly said when Mac opened her eyes. "If you didn't want to have dinner with me tomorrow night you could just have said so. There was no need to scare me to death." He teased her, masking his own feelings for her sake.

Mac lightly laughed at his joke but quickly regretted it. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts."

"Didn't they give you something for the pain?" Will asked.

"They couldn't, not yet. They will, after the MRI, if everything turns to be fine."

"An MRI they can't do because you haven't signed the paperwork." He reminded her.

"I wanted to see you first." Mac shyly admitted. "Give me that." She said, pointing to the iPad on the bed. Will supported it for her and she quickly signed it. He left it on the bed and returned his attention to her. It wasn't hard for Mac to notice the fear showing in his eyes and it concerned her. "I'm fine." She tried to reassure him while she squeezed his hand.

"I know." Will replied, not at all convinced of that fact. "I didn't know I was your emergency contact." He told her, desperately wanting to change the subject.

"I never changed it." Mac said, almost laughing after seeing the confused look on his face. "I didn't think about it before I left to Peshawar.  But, after the stabbing, I signed a temporary permission for Jim to act as my next of kind during my stay at Landstuhl so they wouldn't bother you. When I came back to DC, and then to New York, I decided to leave things as they were."

"I would have come." He said. "To Germany. If I had known. Charlie told me when everything was already over."

"I know." Mac replied. "Thanks." She told him before closing her eyes and sighing deeply.

 

Will gave her another gently squeeze and leant down to gently kiss her hair. Instead of straightening up, he rested his forehead onto hers, their noses touching. Mac opened her eyes and looked directly into his ones. "Don't scare me like this, Mackenzie. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

 

Her eyes moistened at his words and a lump formed on her throat. She stared at his eyes, looking for something that would indicate her that he had only said those words to make her feel better, but she didn't find anything. She raised her hand and caressed his cheek. She was about to move her hand when Will grabbed it and held it close to their heads. "I'm sorry, Billy." Mac softly replied.

 

Carefully, his lips found hers and they shared a short chaste kiss. Mac smiled against his lips before kissing him again. A knock on the door interrupted them. Will quickly leant back, without releasing her hands, and said a quick "Come in." The doctor opened the door and stepped inside.

 

"Ready?" He asked.

"Yes." Mac replied while Will handed him the iPad with the signed consent.

"Perfect." Dr. Kim smiled at them. "It'll take about half an hour. You can wait in the waiting room. We'll get you once she's back." He told Will.

 

Out of the blue, Mac forcefully grabbed Will's hand. "Oh my God."

"What? What's wrong?" Will quickly asked her.

"I know what changed." She told him. Will looked at her, confused as hell. Then, she remembered she hadn't told him about the stalker. "Fuck." She muttered. "Will, I need you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"There's a man waiting with Charlie, his name is Michael. You have to tell him that you stayed with me last Sunday." Mac said. She knew the timing was very bad, Will would certainly get mad at her, but she needed Mike to know; the fucking creep must had been watching her building and he must had seen Will leaving Monday morning. Everything made sense.

"Mac! What the fuck?" He asked her. "Who the hell is Michael?"

"Charlie will explain." She assured him. "Will." Mac called him, tugging his hand to make him lean closer. "Charlie is going to tell you what has been going on, that's what I wanted to talk about during dinner tomorrow. I don't want you to worry even if I'm pretty sure you'll do. I know you'll be furious but, please, nothing is Charlie's fault, ok? It was my decision to keep you in the dark, I didn't want to bother anyone, especially you. Just remember that I … care about you and that I'm sorry."

"You're scaring me, Mackenzie." He told her.

"We'll talk when I come back." She promised.

 

Dr. Kim, once their exchange was over, kindly asked Will to leave the room. Will complied, reluctantly. He walked the distance to the waiting room deep in his thoughts. What the hell did Mackenzie mean? He wasn't blind, he had noticed that something had been bothering her for the last couple of weeks. He trusted her, he was sure she would tell him when the time was right. Yet, he had imagined it was something that had to do with a story; her face and words just a minute ago had made him question that thought.

 

A hand on his shoulder returned his mind back to Earth; he had walked into the waiting room without realizing it. Charlie saw the distraught look Will was carrying so he squeezed his shoulder. "How's our girl?"

"She's fine. They took her to do the MRI." Will replied without looking at him. A few seconds later, he turned around. "Charlie, who the hell is Michael?"

"It's me." A male voice said from behind them. Will turned and saw Lonny and another man approaching them. "Michael Tyler, Blue North Security." Mike told Will, extending his hand. Will shook it before looking at Lonny, still confused. "I'm Ms. McHale's bodyguard."

"Ok." Will said, feeling a bit defeated. "This is what we're going to do. First, Mr. Tyler, Mackenzie asked me to tell you that I spent last Sunday night at her apartment." In a completely different situation, Will would have bursted out laughing at the expression on Charlie's face when he heard those words. "I think you three have some explaining to do but, first, I'm going to step outside and get some fresh air." Without waiting for a reply, Will turned around and left the room.

 

Lonny waited a minute before going after him. It didn't take him long to find him: he had returned to the quiet corner, right next to the ER door. His back was resting on the wall and, to Lonny, it seemed that the wall was holding all his weight.

 

"You have a no smoking sign just above your head." Lonny told him.

"I don't give a fuck." Will simply replied before taking a long drag of his cigarette.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

 

Lonny positioned himself right next to him, blocking the view so nobody could see Will. They stood there, in silence, for a few minutes while Will smoked his cigarette. Once he was done, he threw it to the floor and stubbed it with his shoe.

 

"Lonny, in your line of work, do you have someone..." Will stopped for a moment to clear his thoughts. "You know, that person you would trust with your life?"

"I do." Lonny told him.

"I want him or her on Mackenzie. I don't care if I have to pay for it, and I still don't know what the hell is going on, but if Mac needs protection I want her to have the best. I trust you."

"That's Michael." He replied. "That's why I asked for him when Ms. McHale finally accepted to have protection."

"Thank you." Will sincerely told him.

"You're welcome." Lonny replied, smiling.

 

Will took a deep breath and, then, told Lonny he was going back inside. They arrived to the waiting room to find Mike sitting alone.

 

"Mr. Skinner went to get some coffee." Mike explained before Will could ask.

 

Lonny sat next to him while Will paced in front of them. After a couple of minutes, Will suddenly halted and turned to look at Mike, sizing him up. Mike simply raised his eyebrow at him but didn't say a word. Thankfully, Charlie walked into the room and broke the staring contest. He handed Will a coffee and remained next to him.

 

After taking a deep breath and a long sip of coffee, Charlie began to talk. "A week after the American Taliban broadcast someone broke into Mac's apartment. NYPD was there when she got home. Whoever it was trashed her living room and took a picture Mac had of the two of you. Detective Johnson, the one in charge of this case, thought it had something to do with the broadcast as Mac had  told him she had written the script with you. He also left a threatening note. She spent a few nights at the Plaza, thinking it was an one time thing, but she received another note while she was there. That's when I called Lonny."

"We recommended that she get protection but she refused it. Mr. Skinner convinced her to use the car service." Lonny explained. "She continued to receive random notes and a few gifts like flowers or chocolate, both at the office and at home. Then, it was strange phone calls in the middle of the night. NYPD is investigating it but we opened our own investigation. We couldn't find anything, this guy is smart."

"Something happened that made Mac change her mind about protection." Will thought out loud.

"Mac was having lunch with Sloan when she received and email with a picture of them, taken a few minutes earlier. Sloan, who had been told about everything barely thirty minutes before, quickly called Detective Johnson and me." Charlie explained. "I called Lonny and he picked them up and escorted them to my office. We finally convinced Mac to accept the protection: the guy was escalating and she didn't feel safe, even if she tried to hide it."

"I've been Ms. McHale's shadow from day one: wherever she goes, I go." Mike intervened. "I've been intercepting everything that guy is sending and studying it. I think everything began as a revenge for that broadcast, he threatened her a few times, but the tone in his notes and gifts changed as days went by. It's not unusual for these people to grow attached to their victims. He's showing some degree of obsession. We're looking for a man, late twenties, with great abilities but with an unstable job that gives him all the time he wants to dedicate to Ms. McHale." Mike stopped to let Will assimilate the information. When Will nodded, he continued. "He's been incredibly careful to not leave evidence behind, until this week. Yesterday morning, we intercepted a note that made us think he's becoming angry. I didn't know why until you told me you spent Sunday night at Ms. McHale apartment; he must have seen you leave Monday morning. In his mind, from what we gathered, you're stepping in the middle of their relationship."

"She's been having a fucking stalker following her for the last month and a half and I'm only hearing about it now." Will said, glaring at the three of them.

"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Charlie asked Lonny and Mike.

"We'll be right outside." Lonny told him.

 

Charlie waited until they left the room before gently grabbing Will's arm and making him sit down in one of the secluded chairs of the waiting room, away from prying eyes. Will rested his elbows on his knees and hid his face between his hands. Charlie let him alone for a couple of minutes, sitting patiently next to him.

 

"I know you would never betray her confidence but you could have tipped me off or something." Will said, raising his head to look at Charlie.

"She didn't want to bother anyone. She only told me because she absolutely had to, Will." Charlie replied.

"She told Sloan." Will spat, a bit hurt that Mac had chosen Sloan over him.

"Sloan's her best friend. She noticed something was off and nagged Mac until she confessed." Charlie explained. "Are you telling me you didn't notice anything?"

"I did!" Will exclaimed, outraged. "And I asked her about it! She told me it was because of the 9/11 broadcast!" He took a deep breath. "Why didn't Mac trust me?" He asked, lowering his voice.

"She does, more than she should." Charlie muttered.

"What the fuck are you implying, Charlie?" Will asked, angry after hearing Charlie's words.

"You've been a jackass lately." He replied. "First, you brought Brian to write that damn article on 2.0. You could have picked anyone yet, you chose him."

"It wasn't my finest move." Will admitted.

"You did it to hurt her and don't try to deny it." Charlie warned him when he saw Will was about to interrupt him. "Then, she found you bleeding on your bathroom and spent a whole week by your side. And what did you do? You were a fucking jerk."

"I apologized for that." Will said, defensive.

"You want a medal?" Charlie sarcastically asked. Ignoring Will's indignant look, he continued. "You told her you'd left a message while you were high. You realized she didn't hear it and your whole world seemed to change. I don't know what the fuck did you say that day but I can imagine. Instead of telling her, you've been playing with her feelings every time she asks. Then, out of the blue, you tell me you spent Sunday night with her. And you have to ask why she didn't tell you?"

"Fuck, Charlie. You don't have to explain it to me. I know, ok?" Will told him, defeated.

"Then, what the fuck are you doing?"

"I don't know." Will admitted. "But I'm trying, ok? I'm working on it."

"You're trying but you're also hurting Mackenzie along the way."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Will said, closing his eyes. "We're taking things slowly this time. We don't want to rush anything."

"Well, you're doing a great job." Charlie replied. Will noticed his sarcastic tone and, despite himself, smiled.

"What happened on Sunday..." He paused for a moment. "I didn't plan it. I didn't go to her apartment with the idea of ... You know." Will explained. "It just happened." He continued. "It made me realize how much I want this to go well. Mackenzie deserves to be forgiven. I think I have, but I can't be sure yet. What I know for sure is that I've never stopped..." He fumbled, not ready to say the word out loud. "Habib says that's why I've been acting like this because, even after everything, I never stopped and I didn't want to admit it. I've been fighting against my feelings."

"Does she know that?" Charlie asked, too astonished to say anything more.

"Not yet."

"Well, don't wait too much. You've lost enough time." Charlie suggested.

 

After that, they waited in silence until a nurse came to get Will. Will invited Charlie to go with him and, closely followed by Lonny and Mike, they walked to the exam room where Mac was. Will knocked on the door and another nurse opened it. They quietly stepped inside and waited for them to finish. Once he was done, Dr. Kim turned to speak to them.

 

"The MRI turned out clear, nothing is broken. She has a mild sprain, though. It'll be pretty normal if she has neck pain and stiffness for a few days. Headaches are also usual. If she begins experimenting neurological signs, such as muscle weakness or sensory deficits, bring her back immediately. I'll give her a prescription of anti-inflamatories and a painkiller, as well as a muscle relaxant for her to take for the first 48 hours. Tomorrow, first thing, make an appointment with a physical therapist to begin treatment on Monday; we need to prevent what we call whiplash syndrome. I want her to wear a cervical collar until she sees the PT, but no more than three hours a day. Starting tomorrow, encourage her to gently move her head to avoid stiffness." The doctor ended. Then, he saw the panicked look on Will's face and he smiled kindly at him. "I explained everything to Mackenzie, but don't worry, I'll write it down on the discharge papers."

"Why is she asleep?" Charlie asked.

"We've given her an IV dose of painkillers that knocked her out. Once the bag is empty-" Dr. Kim said, pointing to the IV bag connected to Mac's arm. "We'll wake her up and you can take her home. If you have any doubts, don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you, Doctor." Will told him.

 

The Doctor helped the nurse change the collar on Mackenzie's neck for the softer one she would take home and then, both he and the nurse left the room. Will took the empty chair next to the bed while Charlie stood behind him, his back resting on the wall. They spent the next ten minutes in silence, both observing Mac's sleeping form. The relief of knowing that her injuries weren't too serious was pretty obvious. A knock on the door startled them, and Mac, who opened her eyes and looked at them, confused. Charlie stepped outside to talk with Lonny and Mike while Will got up to be closer to Mackenzie.

 

"Hey, sleepyhead." Will softly told her.

"Billy?" Mac said, her eyes more focused than they were a few seconds ago.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Sleepy." She answered. "Charlie told you?"

"He did." Will simply replied.

"Are you mad at me?"

"A little bit." He told her, trying not to look as angry as he felt.

"I'm sorry." Mac sincerely said.

"I know. We'll talk later, ok? When you aren't high in painkillers."

"Don't let me leave any voicemail messages." She told him and Will wasn't sure if she was teasing him or not.

"Close your eyes." Will said, ignoring her remark. "I'll wake you up when they discharge you."

 

Mac grabbed one of his hands and squeezed it. Without letting it go, she sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Will, with his other hand, pulled the chair closer and, after tucking her hair behind her ear, he gently kissed her forehead and sat down on the chair to wait.


	8. Chapter 8

Mackenzie woke up the next morning and, as she usually did, she turned her head to the right to look at the alarm clock on her bedside table. Something she quickly regretted doing; the muscles on her neck painfully spasmed and all she could do was groan and moan out loud. Her hand quickly went to support her neck and she closed her eyes before taking a few deep breaths to relax and subdue the pain.

 

She heard a gentle knock on her bedroom door and she smiled. "Come in." Mac said. She was expecting Will and, when she saw Sloan opening the door, her smile vanished.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Will had to go to the pitch meeting. He'll come back once it's over." Sloan explained while she went around the bed to carefully sit next to Mac. "How are you feeling?"

"As if a car had hit mine from behind." Mac dryly replied.  "What time is it?"

"Ten past eleven." Sloan replied after glancing at her watch.

"Really? I slept for more than ten hours?" She thought out loud. "Unbelievable."

"Will told me that the medication they gave you was pretty strong." Sloan told her. "Are you hungry? I brought you breakfast." She proudly asked.

"I'm not very hungry but I have to eat something before taking the meds they gave me." Mac explained. "Can you hand me my robe? It's in the bathroom."

"Of course." Sloan quickly replied. She got up from the bed and went to grab the robe. When she came back, she saw Mac attempting to sit up but with only one hand to help, the other was still supporting her neck, she was having some trouble achieving her goal. Sloan abandoned the robe on the bed an offered her hand to her friend to help her up. Mac gladly accepted it.

 

"Oh God." She groaned when she stood up. "Hand me the brace, please." Mac asked her, pointing to where the neck collar was. Sloan grabbed it and helped Mac put it around her neck. "Thanks."

"No problem." Sloan replied with a smile.

 

They walked together to the living room where, very sternly, Sloan ordered Mac to sit down on the couch while she made her a cup of tea and grabbed the chocolate croissants she had bought. Mac, after telling Sloan she was perfectly capable of preparing her own tea, reluctantly complied when Sloan glared at her. Once she was sitting down, she leant back to rest her head on the couch and closed her eyes. How could she still be so tired after sleeping for ten straight hours? _A car accident and strong medication would do that to you, Mackenzie_ , she told herself.

 

Sloan returned and gave Mac her pills and a cup of tea. "Take this." She told her. Mac did as told and swallowed the pills with a sip of the warm drink. Then, Sloan sat next to her and balanced the tray with the croissants on her knees. "Eat." She said, handing Mac a croissant.

"Yes ma'am." Mac replied, smiling. "You're a mean nurse, Sloanie." She told her, calling her the name she used to tease her, or to piss her off. When Sloan had begun calling her Kenzie, she had come up with Sloanie just to mess with her. It had ended becoming a recurrent joke between them.

Sloan laughed out loud. "Yes, I am. I have to keep you in line."

"Thank you." Mac sincerely said.

"Don't mention it. You'd do the same for me." Sloan replied. Then, she repositioned herself on the couch, making herself comfortable, before she asked what she had been dying to ask since she spoke with Charlie that morning. "So, Will knows?"

"Yeah." Mac told her, defeated. "We were going out tonight and I was going to tell him but I had to do it yesterday because, well ... You know why."

"Do they think it was the creep who hit you?" She asked.

"That's what Mike told me. They're investigating it." Mac explained. "But I didn't tell him, Charlie did."

"Kenzie!" Sloan exclaimed. "Why?"

"Because something happened with the fucking creep and I realized what it was just when they were about to take me to the MRI. Will was with me and I needed someone to tell Mike and I didn't have time to explain."

"What happened?" She asked. Then, something clicked on her mind. "Is it related to what happened on Sunday that you haven't told me yet?"

"Yes." Mac simply answered.

"Spill it." Sloan ordered her friend.

"Will came by Sunday night to watch the broadcast with me." Mac began.

"And? This can't be all." Sloan interrupted her. "He's been weird all week. You too."

"He spent the night." She told her, knowing Sloan would quickly link the missing points.

"Holy cow!" She exclaimed again. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I had a brief lapse of judgement." Mac replied. "Twice."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Sloan..."

"Do you regret it?" She asked her friend.

"I don't think so." Mac answered. "It's complicated."

"You bet your ass it is!" Sloan thought out loud. "What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know, we haven't really talked about it. The current situation doesn't help either." She said before taking a deep breath. "He told me he's working on it. I'm confused, I don't know what's going through his head anymore. He went from hating me and making my life hell to being kind and wonderful and charming, Sloan. Charlie told me he took the news about the stalker much better than he had thought he would but I know him, he kept everything inside for my sake. He'll continue like this until he explodes and I'm sure it's not going to be very pleasant."

"He's worried."

"Well, I am too. What if he changes his mind? What if he decides I'm not worth the trouble? I don't know if I could take his rejection a second time, Sloan."

"You have to tell him, Kenzie, explain everything to him, make him understand."

"Easy for you to say."

"Want me to kick some sense into him? I could." Sloan joked and she smiled when Mac bursted out laughing.

"God, Sloan, don't make me laugh. It hurts." Mac reprimanded her friend, but they both know she wasn't serious at all. Mac appreciated Sloan's company and everything the economist was doing for her. When she came back to New York, she never thought she would find a wonderful and best friend in Sloan Sabbith.

"Come on, finish your breakfast while we watch ACN Morning and mock Tony Hart."

 

* * *

 

 

When Will opened the door of Mackenzie's apartment a little after half-past two, he smiled at the sight in front of him: Mac was sleeping on the couch with her feet on Sloan's lap while the other woman worked on something with her iPad, the TV in front of them still on but muted. He carefully closed the door, trying not to wake Mac up, and approached them.

 

"I have lunch." He told Sloan in greeting, showing her the bags on his hands. "How is she?"

"The muscle relaxant knocked her out. I took the brace off, as you told me, and made sure she was comfortable."

"Thank you." He sincerely told her. "I'll get everything ready in the kitchen." Will informed her before walking to said room.

 

Sloan put her iPad on the coffee table before she, very carefully, lifted Mac's legs so she could get up. Once she accomplished the task without waking up her friend, she quickly followed Will. She smiled at the sight of him grabbing dishes and glasses from the cupboards without a second thought, as if he lived there. Sloan helped him set the table while he heated their food.

 

"How mad are you right now?" She asked him.

"What?" Will replied with a confused look on his face that made Sloan laugh. "She told you." Will realized.

"Yep." Sloan sympathetically told him. "She was going to tell you."

"Why did she wait so long?" Will asked her, pretty sure that she knew.

"It's not my place to say. You have to ask her." Sloan replied.

"Sloan, don't fuck with me on this." Will sternly said, throwing the dishtowel he had on his hand to the kitchen counter.

"I'll give you my very own personal opinion." Sloan told him, leaving the table mid-set. She approached him and looked at him, directly into his eyes. "You've been acting like an schizophrenic towards her lately."

"I don't think that's an accurate psychiatric observation." Will interrupted her.

"You know what I mean." Sloan replied. "She didn't tell you because she wasn't sure you'd care. I know!" She said, raising her hand to stop him, when she saw he was about to interrupt her again. "I know you care and I think, deep down, she knew too, but she remote possibility that you wouldn't scared her."

"What are you two talking about?" Mac asked from the door of the kitchen, startling them.

"Hey." Will softly said. Mac entered the kitchen and Will went to kiss her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better." She replied, smiling at him. "You brought lunch?"

"Yeah."

"Well, let's eat. I'm hungry and our economist here has a show to do at four."

 

They ate their lunch while Will put Mac up to date about what happened at the newsroom that morning. Will explained that the staff knew about the accident and that everyone of them had asked Will to send their best wishes to Mac.  He told her that Jim had been a bit nervous after he had told Scooter he didn't need Don for the show, that he was more than capable to be the EP for the night. "He'll be great." Mac had said.

 

Sloan left as soon as they finished eating, leaving Will to clear the table while Mac returned to her comfortable couch. He joined her ten minutes later. He sat down and put one of the cushions on his lap, urging Mac to lay down with her head on his lap. Mac happily complied. They spent a few minutes in silence, Will gently stroking her hair. Mackenzie knew the inevitable conversation was about to start so she closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

 

"Relax, Mackenzie. I'm not the Spanish Inquisition."

Mac opened her eyes and looked at him. "You've taken the news surprisingly well." She softly said.

"I have to admit I was mad as hell when Charlie told me, but I had time to think. I understand why you didn't tell me. It hurts, it hurts that I made you think, even if it was for a moment, that I wouldn't care. It hurts that you couldn't trust me enough."

"Billy..." Mac tried to interrupt him, but he didn't let her.

"It's mostly my fault; I've been giving you mixed signals, I've been so focused in my own problems that, even if I suspected that something was wrong, I decided to ignore it." He sadly admitted.

"I didn't want to worry you. I thought I could deal with this on my own, that telling you would be like some kind of emotional blackmail."

"Why?" He asked, confused.

"I didn't want you to think I'd told you to keep you by my side. I needed to be sure that you wanted to be with me for the right reasons. What happened Sunday night..." Mac took a deep breath. "It scared me. It was wonderful, and I loved every second of it, and it scared me. What if I've given myself completely to you and then, at some point, you changed your mind?"

"I'd never do that. I wouldn't have made love to you if I wasn't sure about my feelings."

"That's what you say, Will, but you change your mind about me as often as I change my knickers. Excuse me for having my doubts."

"Hey!" He exclaimed, offended. Mac tried to sit up but he gently placed his hand on her upper-chest, preventing her from moving. "I would never take advantage of your feelings for me, Mac."

"You did." She softly replied.

"And I apologized." He reminded her. "I can't promise I won't hurt you ever again, neither can you, but I promise you I'll never do it intentionally. I want to try again. I know how my life is when you're not in it and I hate it. I want you by my side, in every possible way. I wasn't ready to admit it before."

"What made you change your mind?" Mac asked him.

"These past few weeks, Jack, Charlie, the possibility of losing you. Pick your choice." Will replied.

 

Mac removed Will's hand from her body and, despite his protests, sat up on the couch. She turned herself around to look at him and took his hands between her own.

 

"So this if for real. We're trying again." Mac told him, the question hanging in the air.

"We are." He said, his eyes telling her he was sure.

"Ok." She simply replied before tucking herself against his side.

Will kissed her head and put his arm around her, pulling her as close as possible. "Ok."

 

* * *

 

 

A few hours later, Will sat down at his desk and organized his papers, a nervous habit he had acquired a long time ago. He checked that everything was alright and mentally set himself to start.

" _Will._ " He heard Jim through his earpiece. " _You ready?_ "

"Yeah." Will replied. For a second, he had thought about messing with him, as he always did with Mackenzie, but he knew the boy was nervous so he had let it go.

" _Mac just texted me. She asked me to tell you that she's watching and to not thank people for washing us._ "

Will snorted at that and, despite himself, a small laugh escaped him. Mac knew he would also be nervous and, with a simple text message, she had put him at ease.

" _Good show._ "

"Thanks, Jim." Will replied.

 

The broadcast had gone well. As soon as the red light had gone off, his phone vibrated. Will took out his earpiece and grabbed his phone: the name on the screen didn't surprise him at all. He answered Mac's call with an smile while he gathered his things. He went back to his office and spent twenty minutes talking to her. After she had reassured him, at least five times, that she was fine, he kept his promise and asked Lonny to take him back to his apartment, not hers.

 

He got home and changed into comfortable clothes before grabbing a beer from the fridge and stepping into the balcony to smoke a cigarette. All he could think about was Mackenzie and a sudden urge to hear her voice made him pick up his Blackberry and dial her number, something he regretted as soon as he heard her sleepy voice over the phone.

 

"Did I wake you?" He asked, concerned.

" _I don't mind._ " Mac assured him.

"Go back to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow." Will told her.

" _What's wrong?_ "

"Nothing, really." He said, trying to convince her.

" _Billy, would you feel better if you came?_ " She asked him. When, after a few seconds, he didn't answer, Mac spoke again. " _Billy?_ "

"Yeah, I would." Will admitted.

" _You stole my spare key, right?_ "

"I did." He replied with a small laugh.

" _Use it, ok? I'm comfy and I don't want to get up._ "

"Ok." Will said, still laughing. "I'll be there soon."

 

Mac hung up before he could say anything more. In record time, he packed a bag and asked Lonny to drive him to Mac's apartment.  When he arrived, he used the key to let himself in. He closed the door and locked it before walking to Mackenzie's bedroom.

 

The door was open, he could see her sleeping form and the steady raise and fall of her chest every time she took a breath. Will sat down on the chair opposite the bed and left his duffle bag on the floor. He got his clothes off and changed into his pajama pants and an old t-shirt. After pulling down the covers, Will quickly climbed into the bed and moved as closer to her as he could. He put his arm over her waist and spooned her from behind. Mac relaxed into his arms and snuggled even closer, almost every inch of their bodies touching.

 

She murmured something unintelligible in her sleep. In response, Will kissed he back of her head. "Shhh. Go back to sleep." He whispered to her.

"I love you, Billy." Mac softly said.

 

Will froze and stopped breathing for a few seconds. He gently nudged her and verified what he thought: she was asleep. He released his breath, relieved, before kissing her once again and closing his eyes.

 

"I love you too." He whispered back.


	9. Chapter 9

Waking up with Mackenzie in his arms was something he had really missed, and that he suspected he would get used to pretty quickly once again. He raised his arm to look at his wristwatch and sighed: too early for a Saturday morning. So he closed his eyes and tried to sleep some more.

 

An hour later, a noise woke him up. Confused, he looked around the room but he didn't see anything unusual. He closed his eyes again but, a few seconds later, he heard the noise again. Pissed off, he got up from the bed, careful not to disturb Mac, and walked out of the room. Once in the living room he identified the noise as someone knocking on the door. He looked through the peephole before unlocking the door.

 

"Mr. McAvoy, I wasn't expecting to find you here." Mike told him as soon as Will opened the door. "This is Detective Johnson, he's the one assigned to Ms. McHale case." He introduced the other man.

"Has something happened?" Will asked them.

"No, sir." The detective quickly replied. "We're here to talk to Ms. McHale. We have some news."

"Come on in." Will told them, stepping aside to let them enter the apartment. After closing the door, he accompanied them to the living room. "I'll wake her up. Make yourselves comfortable." He said before disappearing down the hall.

 

He entered the bedroom and smiled at the sight of Mackenzie curled up on his side of the bed, hugging his pillow. She was sleeping so comfortably that he felt bad having to wake her up. Will sat down next to her and caressed her cheek. Mac murmured something unintelligible but continued sleeping.

 

Then, Will touched her shoulder and gently shook her. "Mackenzie."

"Leave me alone." She murmured without opening her eyes.

"Hey, sleeping beauty, we've got company. You have to get up." He told her before leaning down to kiss the side of her head.

Mac lazily opened her eyes and looked at him. "Make them leave." She said. Will extended his arm and helped her sit up. "Who the hell is here at-" She turned to look at the clock. "Ten past nine on a Saturday?"

"Mike and Detective Johnson." He simply replied. "I'll make coffee." He told her after softly kissing her lips.

 

Ten minutes later, Mac emerged from her room and found the three men quietly drinking coffee in the kitchen. When they saw her, the three of them got up. While she greeted Mike and the Detective, Will got her a cup of coffee and her meds.

 

"Sorry to bother you this early but we have some news we wanted to share." Mark Johnson explained.

"What's wrong?" Mac asked, smiling in thanks to Will when he handed her the coffee and the pills.

 

They sat down at the kitchen table and Mac swallowed her pills with a gulp of coffee. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room for a few seconds before Mark decided to speak. "How are you feeling?" He asked Mac.

"I've been better." Mac replied.

"We located the car that hit you two days ago. It had been stolen that same day in Queens and we found it, abandoned, near the scene. There were security cameras across the street picked up the guy but he had conveniently covered his face so we couldn't get a clear picture of his face. The fingerprints we found on the car match the ones we already had but we still haven't found a match in our databases."

"So, we still are at the same point." Will said.

"Everything he does gives us new information about him, Mr. McAvoy, and helps us understand him better." Detective Johnson told him.

"He's getting bolder." Mike informed them. "He's impatient and he's tired of waiting for Mackenzie to notice him. He decided to take action and, sooner or later, he'll make a mistake and we'll catch him."

"So, what? We wait until he tries to kill Mac again and hope that he doesn't succeed?" Will angrily asked.

"Will." Mac warned him, gently squeezing his hand to calm him down.

"We don't think he wanted to kill you." Mark said, looking at her. "He hit you car from behind. If he really wanted harm you, he would have crashed his car into the passenger side."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Mac sarcastically said.

"We'll increase our security measures." Mike told them. "We'll set up security cameras outside your door. I'll change cars and we'll leave your building and AWM through the garage. And, most important, I'll pick you up at your door, here and at the office. No unscheduled trips: if you want to go get some coffee, ask someone or call me to go with you. I know you went by yourself more than once."

"Do you need more people?" Will asked Mike before Mac could say anything.

"Another person would be useful, someone that could stay outside during the night or in the car if I have to go with Mackenzie somewhere."

"Choose someone you trust. I'll pay for it." Will told him.

"Will!" Mac exclaimed, turning to look at him. "What the hell are you doing?" She angrily asked him.

"If you would excuse us for a moment." Will said to Mike and Mark, standing up from his seat and signaling Mac to follow him.

"We'll leave." Mike told them.

"I'll call you if there's anything new to report." Detective Johnson said.

"Thank you." Mackenzie told them.

 

Once the two men left the apartment, Will went to the bedroom while Mac remained on the kitchen. A minute later, Will walked in and handed her the collar. Mac looked at him, unimpressed, but Will ignored her look.

 

"I saw you wincing in pain, Mac. Humor me and put this on." He told her.

Mac glared at him but complied, moving her hair to one side so Will could place the collar around her neck and fasten it.  "Thanks." Mac softly said.

"Want something to eat?" Will asked.

"A cheese omelet would be great." She replied. Will opened the fridge and got the eggs and the cheese. They spent a few minutes in silence, Will preparing breakfast while Mac observed him from her seat at the kitchen table. "What the hell was that?" Mac finally asked him.

"What was what?" Will said, feigning ignorance.

"You offering to pay for more protection without consulting me." She replied.

"What's wrong with that?" He asked.

"Really?" Mac asked him.

"He said it'd be a good idea!" Will exclaimed.

"Because you asked him!" Mac told him, raising her voice. "Why don't you hire someone to follow me to the fucking bathroom? Or even better, let's get a 24/7 detail!" She spat at him. "I can take care of myself Billy."

"The collar around your neck is great proof of that." Will angrily replied.

"Fuck you." Mac told him.

 

Will put the omelet on a plate and grabbed a fork before setting everything in front of her. Without saying a word, he left the room. Mac ate her breakfast and poured herself another coffee. She took her mug and sat down on the couch. She made herself comfortable and turned on the TV, changing the channel to CNN. She could see Will standing outside, on the balcony, his arms resting on the handrail and smoking a cigarette. She wasn't pissed at him about his offer, she was pissed because he had done it without asking her first. Even if she once had been, Will being nice to her was something she wasn't used to lately. Without thinking, she got up from the couch and went outside. Will heard the door being opened but didn't turn around.

 

She startled him when she grabbed the cigarette from his hand to take a drag. "Hey!" He said. "Get your own." He told her, stealing it back.

Mac adopted his same position, looking down at the busy New York streets. "I feel like I'm losing all the control of my life." Mac softly said. "I'm sorry but I can't have you taking the little I still have."

"That was never my intention." Will replied.

"I know, but it's how it looked like." She explained to him.

"I'm sorry." Will said before stubbing out the cigarette and turning to look at her. He gently grabbed her hands and squeezed them. "I don't want anything bad happening to you, Mackenzie. You know me, I'm an overprotective moron. I worry about you, I want to take care of you. I understand your reticence so I'll take a step back."

Mac put her ams around his waist and pulled him close, her forehead resting on his chest. "I like that you want to take care of me. Just ..." She hesitated for a few seconds. "Ask me first before doing anything rash, ok?"

Will kissed the top of her head and brought her even closer. "Ok."

 

* * *

 

 

Monday morning, Will arrived at the newsroom just in time for the pitch meeting. Mac was at the physical therapist's so, before they could start with the meeting, he had to answer everyone's questions and reassure them that Mackenzie was fine. Jim did a great job subbing for Mac but he missed her. Once the meeting was over, an intern told him that Charlie had called asking him to go upstairs. He took the elevator and went upstairs, wondering what the hell had happened that Charlie needed to speak with him. When Mille saw Will, she told him he could go right inside. He stepped into his boss office and, before he could say anything, Charlie looked up from the papers he was reading and warily smiled at him. "The press office got a call from Nina Howard."

"Fuck." Will said, plopping down in one of the chairs in front of Charlie's desk. "What now?"

"She knows you weren't sick on 9/11." Charlie simply told him.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed. "I told you this would backfire, Charlie." Will said, closing his eyes and pinching his nose. "How did she find out?"

"I don't know. She asked looking for a comment." Charlie replied.

"What do you wanna do?" Will asked him, resigned.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Will asked, incredulous. "She'll publish it!"

"She wouldn't have called if her source was credible. She has a hunch but she can't be sure unless  we confirm it." Charlie told him.

"She doesn't need a credible source: she's a gossip columnist." Will told him. "We just got our ratings back to normal, something like this could kill us."

"I'll talk to her." Charlie said.

"No, I will." Will quickly replied.

"No, you won't." Charlie firmly told him.

"Arrange a meeting with her. At Hang Chew's, after the show." Will asked him.

"What are you gonna tell her?" Charlie asked, concerned.

"I don't know yet." He replied.

"Great." Charlie sarcastically said. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"Your faith in me is overwhelming, Charlie." Will told him.

"How's our girl?" He asked Will, changing the subject.

"Better. She's at the PT. She'll be in later." Will explained.

"Should she be back so soon?" Charlie asked, concerned.

"That's the same thing I told her. She told me she'd get bored at home and would end pestering everyone so she thought she should just come here and do it from her office. She promised to take it easy, though." Will told him, smiling.

"Are you taking good care of her?"

"As much as she lets me."

"Great." Charlie replied. "Now, get back to work."

"Yes, sir."

 

A few hours later, he was sitting in his office, writing his script, when he heard the commotion outside. Without looking, he knew that Mac had arrived. He waited a few minutes before getting up and going to find her. He opened the door and, before he could say anything or look around, Tess pointed to Mac's office. He thanked her with a smile and walked to the office. He opened the door without knocking and quickly closed it once he was inside.

 

"How did it go?" He asked her.

"We'll do the PT three times a week, at the gym here, after the two o'clock meeting." She explained, smiling at him. "He's a nice guy, thanks for recommending him."

"You're welcome." Will replied. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit tired but it'll pass once I eat something." Mac told him. "I'll grab a sandwich from the vending machine after I talk to Jim."

"How about I order some lunch and we go through the pitches while we eat?" Will offered.

"Perfect."

 

* * *

 

 

As soon as he heard Herb saying _we're clear_ in his ear, Will got up from his chair and walked out of the studio and towards his office. He quickly changed his clothes and grabbed his things. He was about to leave his office to meet Nina when Mac gently knocked on his door before stepping in.

 

"Hey." She softly said.

"Hey." He replied. "Are you alright?" Will asked her after noticing the tired look on her face.

"My neck hurts a little bit." Mac confessed. "Nothing that my cocktail of muscle relaxants and painkillers won't solve." She told him, slightly smiling.

"What you need is a hot meal and a good night's sleep." He said, approaching her and putting his hands on her waist. "Call Mike so he can take you home."

"Want to come with me?" Mac asked him, resting her hands on his chest.

"I'd love to but not tonight." He said, and regretted it a second later when he saw the look on her face. He grabbed her hands, preventing her from taking them away from his chest "You need to rest, Mackenzie, and I have to go home."

"Right. We're taking things slowly this time." Mac muttered.

Will snorted before pulling her close. "We are." He smiled down at her.

 

Standing on her tiptoes, Mac softly pressed her lips against his. "Call me later?" She asked him.

"I will."

 

After another kiss, Mac walked out of his office. After glancing at the clock he realized he was late. Will quickly gathered his things and left. He was relieved to see that most of the staff was still working and he secretly hoped that they would stay there, at least until his meeting with Nina was over.

 

Hang Chew's was surprisingly busy for a Monday night. He quickly located Chelsea, their usual waitress, and went to quietly speak with her. They exchanged a few words while she poured him an scotch. Drink in hand, he walked to the back of the bar. There, nursing her drink, sat Ms. Howard.

 

"Nina." He greeted her while sitting down in front of her.

"Will." She nodded at him. "I'd like to say that it's a pleasure to see you again but we both know it wouldn't be true." Nina said, smiling. "I suppose you're here to talk about the 9/11 broadcast."

"Yes." Will simply replied.

"You want to convince me of not running the story that you weren't sick."

"I'd like that."

"Why?" She asked him.

"Because I'd like 9/11 to be a scandal-free day. Are we off the record?" Will asked her. Nina nodded. "It was a joint decision." He lied, really hoping that she wouldn't catch him. "After the American Taliban broadcast, a lot of people were furious with me so we decided I should step down on 9/11 and let Elliot and Sloan do it."

"Who's we?"

"Charlie and I." Will replied.

"Ok." Nina told him.

"That's it?" He asked, confused.

"Yeah." She laughed at him. "I'm a nice person, you know."

"That was surprisingly easy." Will muttered.

"I needed a reason to have a private meeting with you." She confessed. "The 9/11 story was just a cover-up. I had already decided not running it."

"Then?"

"I knew you weren't sick because someone saw you entering Mackenzie's building that night, and leaving the morning after." Nina explained.

"Fuck." Will said.

"That same person, my source, also told me that you and Mackenzie are now together and that she has a bodyguard because she has an stalker. Is it true that she was in a car accident last Thursday?" She asked him.

"How the hell did you find out?" He asked.

"An anonymous source."

"Nina, no one knew ..." Will began but immediately stopped talking.

"What?"

 

Will took out his phone and dialed a number. "I need you to come inside." He said before hanging up. A minute later, Lonny appeared. "What's wrong?" He asked Will.

"Ms. Howard got an anonymous call about Mac's situation." Will explained.

"That's impossible. Nobody knows about it except us, we've been very careful." Lonny told him.

"What the hell is going on?" Nina asked them.

"Nina, did he tell you his name?" Will told her.

"What makes you think it was a man?" Nina replied.

"Ms. Howard, I can assure you that the people who know about Ms. McHale's situation wouldn't leak anything. If you got a call about it..."

"It had to be the stalker." Nina said, finishing Lonny's sentence.

"He wants publicity. He's feeling ignored and wants all the attention he can get. That's why he called you." Lonny told her.

"Don't worry." Nina quickly said after seeing the cautious look on both the men faces. "I won't give that man what he wants."

"Thank you." Will sincerely told her.

"About the other thing..." She began.

"What other thing?" Will asked her.

"You and Mackenzie?" Nina replied, smiling.

"Why don't we make a deal?" Will said.

"I'm listening." She told him, folding her arms and leaning back on her chair.

"We're not ready to go public about our relationship." Will explained. "When the time comes, you'll be the first to know."

"Will you let me interview you?" Nina asked him with a wicked smile.

"We'll see." He replied.

"I can live with that." Nina said.

 

Satisfied with the results, Will finished his drink and got up. He looked down at the woman still sitting at the table and kindly smiled at her. "Thanks Nina." He told her.

 

He was about to leave, Lonny following close behind, when she stopped him. "Does Mackenzie know about the voicemail message?"

"She doesn't." Will replied.

"You should tell her." Nina told him. "It was fucking sweet."

 

* * *

 

 

 _Home, sweet home,_ Will though as he was stepping out of the elevator and into his apartment. After everything that had happened that day, he only wanted to quietly smoke a cigarette on his balcony and go to bed. He changed into his pajamas and grabbed a cigarette and his phone before going outside. He sat down on his lounge chair and lit it up.

 

He only had time to take two drags before his phone rang. He looked down at the screen and smiled. "Ms. McHale, you should be asleep." He teased her in greeting.

" _Why the hell were you talking with Nina Howard, Billy?_ "


	10. Chapter 10

" _Why the hell were you talking with Nina Howard, Billy?_ "

* * *

 

 

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose; that wasn't a conversation he wanted to have after the day he had just had. He stared at the cigarette in his hand and sighed deeply. How the hell had she found out?

 

" _They saw you leave the bar, Billy, five minutes before she did._ " Mac told him, knowing by his silence that he was wondering about it. When Jim had called and told her, she couldn't believe it. " _Are you there? Will?_ "

"I'm here." He replied.

" _So?_ " She questioned him.

"Mac." He said, his voice pleading with her to let it go.

" _What does she have on you?_ "

"She knows I wasn't sick on 9/11." Will explained.

" _How the hell did she find out?_ " Mac asked him.

"Anonymous source." He replied.

" _Anonymous source my ass, Billy._ " She said. " _You're hiding something, I can tell. Remember the conversation we had two days ago?_ " She told him. " _Don't keep things from me._ "

"The stalker called her." Will finally said. He heard Mac gasp so he quickly continued talking. "Or at least that's what Lonny and I think."

" _Why do you think that?_ " Mac softly asked, afraid of his possible answer.

"She also knows about him and the accident." He told her.

" _So she knows about us too._ " She guessed. His silence confirmed her suspicions. " _When is this going to be published?_ " Mac warily asked him.

"She isn't running it. When I explained everything, off-the-record of course, she told me she wouldn't be the one to give him the publicity he's been looking for."

" _She has a heart, after all._ " Mac muttered. " _And what about us?_ "

"What about us?" He repeated.

" _Don't play dumb, Billy._ "

"I convinced Nina to wait until we're ready." Will simply said. He hoped that Mac would be satisfied with his answer but, deep down, he knew she wouldn't. Her next question confirmed his thoughts.

" _How?_ " When he didn't answer, she asked him again. " _How did you convince her?_ "

"I told her she'd be the first to know." He waited a few seconds but Mac remained quiet. He looked down at his phone and saw that she had hung up.

 

At her apartment, Mac saw the incoming call on her cell, the fifth in the last three minutes. She ignored the call and closed her eyes, trying to sleep. A few minutes later, her Blackberry beeped, informing her that she had a new message. She opened it and sighed deeply.

 

 

> _Mac, pick up the damn phone. W._

 

She ignored it too. He called again before sending another message.

 

 

> _Ok, I get the message, you're mad at me. Just tell me that you're ok. We'll talk tomorrow. W._

 

 

Knowing that, if she didn't answer, he would come all the way to her apartment, she wrote a quick reply.

 

> _I'm fine._

 

It wasn't until the next morning that she saw his last message.

 

> _I'm sorry, I just did what I thought it'd be better. Don't stay mad for too long, please. Love you. W._

 

* * *

 

 

The first thing Mac noticed when she stepped into her office was the vase filled with beautiful and expensive pink lilies on her desk. She didn't want to think how much they had cost Will, they were truly beautiful, but they also were something Will always did. She looked for a note but didn't find one: typical Will. Mac appreciated the gesture but a bunch of flowers wouldn't solve their problem: Will had gone behind her back to speak with Nina and, between the two of them, had agreed to a master-plan to cover-up their relationship (if you could call what Will and Mac had at that moment a relationship). If he had told her his intentions she would had told him that the whole thing was a bad idea, Nina was trouble and everybody knew it.

 

Mac could feel the pain in her neck getting worse and it was only 9 a.m. The trouble she had had the night before falling asleep would surely take its price during the day. For a second, she considered calling Charlie and taking the day off but her workaholic mind didn't let her. Instead, she moved the vase to a corner of her desk and sat down to work.

 

She didn't see Will until the pitch meeting, at which he arrived five minutes late. The tension between them was obvious and something that distracted the staff. It took a few tries but, at the end, they managed to have a successful meeting. Mac was the first one to leave the room, walking quickly to her office to avoid Will. When she opened her door, she groaned at the sight of her best friend sitting in front of her desk.

 

"Nice flowers." Sloan said in greeting, grinning.

"I know." Mac tiredly replied, walking around her friend to sit on her chair.

Sloan turned to look at her. "What did Will do?" She asked, glancing at the flowers.

"Why do you assume that Will did something?" Mac asked back.

"These are apology flowers." Sloan simply stated.

"I don't want to talk about it, Sloan." Mac told her friend. "Not now."

"Ok." Sloan said, letting it go. "Anyway, that wasn't why I came here, even if it's an added bonus. How are you? We didn't have a lot of time to talk yesterday."

"It still hurts but it's getting better. I start with the physical therapist tomorrow." Mac explained.

"Is he a cutie?" Sloan quickly asked. Mac rolled her eyes at her. "What?"

"He's twenty-six."

"That doesn't answer my question, Kenzie." She reminded her friend.

"Stop by tomorrow and I'll introduce you." Mac told her.

"Thanks."

 

A knock on the door interrupted them. Mac was pretty sure who was at the other side so she mentally prepared herself before saying "Come in."

Will warily opened the door and stepped inside. "Hey." He said. Then, he noticed that Mac wasn't alone. "Hi Sloan." He told the other woman.

"Do you need something?" Mac asked him, trying not to sound too pissed of.

"I thought we could go out and grab something to eat around one, before the rundown meeting." Will told her.

"No unscheduled trips for me, remember?" Mac said. "Besides, Sloan and I are ordering in."

"We are?" Sloan said, without thinking, but she quickly corrected her mistake. "Yes, of course. You're welcome to join us if you want." She told Will, ignoring the panicked look on Mac's face.

"Oh, no, but thank you Sloan." He replied, disappointed. Then, he looked at Mac. "Can we talk later?" He asked her.

"We'll see."

 

* * *

 

 

Mac hadn't done it intentionally but the day had been so busy that she hadn't found the time to speak with Will about anything that wasn't related to the show. She was still pissed at him but the feeling had been dissipating as the hours had gone by. She didn't want to leave without talking to him so, after leaving her things on her desk, she went to Will's office and waited for him to finish changing out of his suit.

 

When Will got out of the bathroom, he was surprised at the sight of Mac perched at the end of his desk, her arms crossed in front of her and with a tired expression clouding her face.

 

"Are you ok?" Will asked her, concerned.

"Long day." Mac replied, smiling slightly. "Thanks for the flowers. They're beautiful."

 

Will slowly approached her, stopping as closer as he could without touching her. He moved his hand to gently touch her knee but he thought it better and stopped himself before he did anything. Mac saw his hesitation so she stood up, grabbed his hands and pulled him closer before resting her forehead on his chest. Will stood still for a few seconds, not sure what he should do, but he finally decided it was safe for him to put his hands on her waist.

 

"I'm still mad at you." Mac murmured. "And I don't like it." Will, trying not to laugh, moved one of his hands to gently massage her neck. "I know why you did what you did, but you did it behind my back. You also made a decision about our relationship before consulting me first. And we can't go out so you can buy me an expensive dinner to beg for my forgiveness. Make-up sex is also off the table because my neck fucking hurts. I had a shitty day, you know? And it's all your fault." Mac ranted. Will couldn't hold his laughter any longer. Mac raised his head and glared at him. "It's not funny."

"I know." He told her before tenderly dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Come home with me?" He hopefully asked. "I'll cook you dinner, draw a hot bubble bath and give you a massage. We can stop by your apartment first."

"Mike's gonna kill me." Mac groaned.

"My building is secure, Lonny made sure of that." Will reminded her.

"Go home and start cooking my wonderful dinner. I'll swing by my flat to grab some things and meet you there."

 

* * *

 

When he had arrived at his building, he had told his doorman to let Mac up when she arrived so the sound of the elevator's door opening at his apartment didn't startle him. He heard the clicking of her heels approaching the kitchen and he raised his eyes just when she entered the room.

 

"One of your neighbors interrogated me on the way up." Mac said. "A lovely old lady who lives on the twelfth floor."

"Mrs. Carter?" Will asked.

"She didn't tell me her name but she told me she's glad you have a stunningly looking British girlfriend now that'll stop your bachelor habits and the parade of fake bimbos leaving your building in the middle of the night."

"She didn't say that." He told her.

"Well, maybe not the last part but still..." She said, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Whatever you're cooking smells good."

"Chicken parmesan and mashed potatoes."

"Yummy." Mac replied in a childish voice.

"Go change into something more comfortable. It'll be ready by the time you're done."

 

When Mac returned a few minutes later, wearing a pair of Will's boxer shorts (waistband rolled a couple of times to prevent them from falling down) and a tank top, she found the dinner had been already set on the kitchen island. Will was by the fridge getting them something to drink.

 

"Wine?" He asked her without turning around.

"I shouldn't. I'm still taking painkillers." Mac replied while sitting down in one of the stools.

"Right." Will said. "Anything caffeinated is out of question, right?" He asked again. He turned to look at Mac and she nodded. "Well, that leaves us with sparkling water or juice."

"Water, please."

 

Will grabbed a bottle of sparkling water for Mac and a beer for himself and closed the fridge before joining Mac. Between bites and the occasional sip, they talked about Will's meeting with Nina. Will explained that he didn't want to bother her with it: his plan had been to get Nina off the story, he didn't know about the other thing. He apologized for making the deal without consulting her first but he hadn't had much time to think when Nina had dropped the bomb, he had needed to act quickly and he had done so. Mac understood him, she really did, but she couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed that Will wanted to keep their relationship in the dark. She didn't tell him, though, and was a bit subdued for the rest of the meal. Will noticed it but decided to wait until he confronted her about it.

 

Once they had finished eating, Mac cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher while Will went to his room to start filling the tub. By the time Mac joined him, the bathtub was ready and Will was looking through his cabinets for the scented candles he remembered he had. Why he had them was a mystery. The finally found them and placed them along the wider edges of the tub before he lit them up.

 

"Your bath awaits, m'lady." Will told Mac, who was leaning against the doorframe smiling at him.

"Join me?" She asked him.

 

Without another word, Will dimmed the lights and took out his clothes before he stepped into the tub. He offered his hand to help Mac do the same. Carefully, she sat down between his legs and leant back, resting her body against his chest. His arms encircled her body while her hands gently caressed the top of his thighs. Will rested his head on the folded towel he had previously put there and closed his eyes. He could feel Mac relax almost instantaneity, hot baths had always done wonders for her, but he noticed that she wasn't entirely comfortable: she kept shifting every few seconds and releasing deep sighs.

 

When, after more than ten minutes, she was still restless, he decided to gently approach the subject. "You ok?" He softly asked.

"Yeah." She simply replied, closing her eyes and pulling his arms more tightly against her body.

"Something's bothering you." Will told her. When she didn't reply, he raised his head from the towel and dropped a kiss on the side of her head. "Mac?"

"It's nothing."

 

Mac was glad that Will couldn't see her face. She knew she was being silly but the damn insecurities she still had about her relationship with Will wouldn't leave her mind. Why had Will been so eager to keep their relationship in the dark? Not that she wanted her private life displayed at the front page of a magazine but Will's celebrity status meant that, sooner or later, they would make an appearance. Besides, she was still waiting to hear the words _I forgive you_ and those left in a voicemail message she had never received.

 

Her silence worried Will. "Mackenzie?" He said.

"Why did you ask Nina to wait?" She softly asked, slightly scared of the possible answer.

Will sighed deeply and began to trace, with his fingers, small circles on the top of her hand while he thought how to reply without upsetting her even more. "I'm not second-guessing my decision, if that's what you were thinking." He began. "I'm in, forever. You own me. I want you, I always have, but we've been back together for a week, I only thought we could use some more time before we had to deal with the gossip columnists, the magazines and our noisy staff."

 

Mac let out a small laughter. She sat upright and carefully turned around to be able to straddle his thighs. She rested her arms on his shoulders and leant forward to kiss him.

 

A few minutes later, they got out and dried themselves. Will went to the bedroom to grab clean underwear for him and a pair of panties from Mackenzie's bag. They didn't bothered to put on any more clothes.

 

"Go lie down while I get the oil and a towel." Will told her. Mac left the room without another word and Will opened the cabinet under the sink to grab a large towel. Then, he rummaged through one of the drawers until he found the chamomile massage oil. He took everything and walked out of the bathroom.

 

"Well, it seems we'll have to leave the massage for another day." He said to himself when he found that Mac had fallen asleep while waiting for him. Smiling, he went back and left the towel and the oil on the sink. He turned off the lights and lay down next to her. Carefully, he pulled her body close and moved her head to rest comfortably on his shoulder. Mac muttered something and repositioned herself to be almost on top of him but didn't wake up.

 

Will closed his eyes and, less than ten minutes later, he fell asleep too. 


	11. Chapter 11

The rest of the week had gone pretty well considering how bad it had started. Mac was beginning to feel better and the uneasy thoughts about her relationship with Will were slowly dissipating. Will, wanting to do something nice for his girlfriend (because, in his mind, she was his girlfriend, even if the world sounded ridiculous for a fifty-years-old man), had arranged with Lonny and Mike to take Mac out for a nice dinner Saturday night. The delightful expression on her face when he had told her had been worth and the careful planning and troubles they had had to find a nice secure restaurant.

 

Dinner had been nice. Under Lonny's professional surveillance (with Mike waiting outside, in the car) they had eaten their expensive meal and had shared a wonderful bottle of wine. From his seat at the bar, Lonny had smirked when he had seen Mackenzie eat most of Will's chocolate dessert while the anchor pretended not to see it.

 

They got to Mackenzie's building a few minutes before eleven. Michael accompanied them upstairs and Mac thanked him. Once inside the apartment, they took off their coats and hung them up.  Before Will could move, Mac grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him closer to kiss him. She took him by surprise so it took him a few seconds to respond but, once he did, his mouth hungrily claimed her lips while his hands found her waist. When the need for air overwhelmed them, their lips slowly parted with a smile.

 

"Not that I'm complaining but what was that for?" Will asked with a silly grin on his face.

"For being such a nice guy." Mac replied, stealing another kiss afterwards. "Thanks for the surprise."

"It was my pleasure." He told her, closing the gap between them and leaning down to leave a path of little kisses down her neck. Mac tugged his shirt out of his pants and slid her hands under it, running them up and down his back. Will backed her up against the living-room table and scooped her up, her knees parting immediately to accommodate him. While Mac worked on unbuttoning his shirt, Will reached under her dress to caress her thighs, his fingers slowly moving upwards until they reached the hem of her panties. Mac pushed his shirt off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor, before cupping the back of his head and pulling him towards her to capture his mouth in a deep and powerful kiss.

"Maybe we should move this to the bedroom." She murmured against his lips.

"Why? I like this table." He replied.

"I like it too but my neck is going to hurt even more tomorrow morning if we stay here." Mac told him.

"Fuck. I forgot about that." Will said before taking a step back. "Sorry. Are you sure we-" Before he could end the sentence, Mac grabbed him by his belt and pulled him close once again.

"We'll have to be a bit careful. No acrobatics, I'm afraid." She told him, climbing down from the table. She put her hands on his chest and stepped on her toes to sexily whisper on his ear. "Slow and gentle tonight."

 

Mac turned around and let Will unzip her dress. She let it fall to the floor before winking at him while she walked past him towards her bedroom. It took Will less than a second to follow her.

 

* * *

The ringing of the phone woke him up. Still half asleep, he reached to the bedside table behind him to grab it before it woke Mac up, not remembering that he wasn't at his apartment. Without looking at the screen, he answered it.

 

"Yeah?" He muttered, closing his eyes. He was about to fall asleep again when a voice he knew too well said his name.

" _Will?_ "

"Oh shit." He said, out loud and fully awake. He quickly sat up and looked down at the phone on his hand: it wasn't his. The name on the screen confirmed that he hadn't heard that voice wrong, it really was who he thought. "Elizabeth, mmmh, hi." He said, struggling with his words.

" _Why are you answering my daughter's phone?_ "

"Well..."

" _No, I don't want to know. Yet_." She said, interrupting him. " _Is Mackie alright? Julian told us she was in a car accident last week._ "

"She's fine." Will simply replied.

"Who is it?" Mac asked him, rolling to her other side and resting her head on his thigh.

Will covered the phone with his hand before answering. "Your mother."

" _Is she awake? Put her on the phone!_ " They both heard.

"She sounds pissed." Mac murmured.

"Your brother told them about the accident." Will told her.

"Fuck." Mac said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

" _Mackenzie Morgan McHale! Take the bloody phone and talk to your mother!_ "

"Give it to me." She told him. Will gladly handed her the phone and stood up. He found his boxers and put them on while Mac turned to lay on her back.

Will leant down to give her a quick peck on the lips. "I'll get breakfast ready while you talk to your mother."

"Coward."

 

Will walked out of the room. Mac looked at the phone on her hand. She took another deep breath, slowly releasing it, before she put the phone against her ear and closed her eyes. "Hi Mum."

 

From the kitchen, Will could heard bits and pieces of Mac's conversation with her mother. When she appeared five minutes later, dressed with a pair of shorts and a tank-top, she could see the confusion on his face. She threw him a t-shirt and went back to the living room to grab her laptop. "Put this on." Mac told him, seeing that he still had the shirt on his hand. "Mum wants to _see_ that I'm alright."

 

Will quickly put the shirt on and poured them some coffee while Mac set the laptop on the kitchen island and sat down on the stool. Will placed a mug in front of her but, before he could return to his other task, Mac trapped him between her legs, preventing him from going anywhere. She let her head drop on his chest, her arms going around his waist to pull him closer.

 

"You ok?" He softly asked while his hands carefully caressed her neck and shoulders.

"Yeah." She replied. "It's just that ... This wasn't how I expected my day to begin."

"She's worried about you." Will told her even if he was sure she already knew that. The sound of an incoming Skype call interrupted their tender moment. "Come on, answer it while I go get your painkillers." He encouraged her.

"It's not that bad." Mac replied, raising her head to look at him. "It's not your fault, I wake up with a stiff neck. The painkiller will help and I'll do my exercises after the call. Don't worry about it." She explained. "You were nothing but careful last night." She told him, her hand sliding under his shirt.

"Answer the call before your mother jumps on a plane to kill you." He said, laughing at the pout on her face. Mac extended her arm and accepted the call without letting him go. A few seconds later, her parents appeared on the screen.

She barely could hold the laughter threatening to burst out when she saw the astonished look on her father's face; her mother hadn't told him about Will being there. _Yeah, thanks Mum_. She thought. "Hi Mum. Hi Daddy." Mac innocently greeted them.

" _Hello darling._ " Alexander told her daughter. " _William._ "

"Morning, sir. Hello Elizabeth." Will said, disentangling Mac limbs from his body and stepping back a bit. "I'll go get your thing." He informed Mac before leaving the room.

" _Why isn't he wearing pants?_ " He heard Alexander ask his daughter. Then, he heard Mac and her mother burst out laughing. He smiled and went to look for Mac's purse. He found it on the couch (Mac must have tossed it out after grabbing her Blackberry last night). He sat down on the couch and put it on his lap before looking inside for the pill bottle. How she could stuff so many things inside that tiny bag was still a wonder to him. He found the bottle and took it out. A folded white piece of paper caught his eye. For a moment, he pondered if he should open it or not. At the end, his curiosity won.

 

He nearly gasped when he read the note. He had to call Mike and wait until Mac was done talking with her parents to tell her. Remembering she was waiting for him, he left the note on the coffee table and walked to the kitchen to hand her the pill bottle. Mac was reassuring her parents that she was fine, that it had been a small accident and that, after a few sessions with her physical therapist, she would be as good as new. She thanked him with a hand squeeze before he returned to the bedroom to pick up his phone. He stopped on his way to the balcony to grab a cigarette and the note. Once outside, he called dialed Mike's number and waited.

 

* * *

He returned inside just in time to hear Mackenzie angrily words. "You're a bloody blabbermouth, Julian." He didn't hear Julian's reply but when Mac said "Yeah, well, you can go fuck yourself!", he quickened his pace.

 

"Is everything alright?" Will asked her, his hand on her shoulder. He looked down at the screen: her father was in front of the camera but he could see Elizabeth quietly speaking with Julian at the other side of the room. Mac just nodded at him. She raised her hand and put it on top of his one before resting her head on them and closing her eyes.

" _You have to sort out whatever is going on with your brother, Mackie. It's been three years._ " When Mac didn't reply, Alexander turned his attention to the man standing behind his daughter. " _Glad to see you two put your heads out of your arses, Will._ "

"Me too, sir." Will told the older man, smiling.

" _Before the shouting match began, I was telling Mackie that her mother and I were thinking of coming for visit. We'll go to a baseball game while these two spend the afternoon shopping._ "

"Tell me when and I'll get the tickets."

" _Wonderful_." Alexander replied. " _Mackenzie_." He said. When his daughter opened her eyes to look at him, he continued. " _I'll call you tomorrow, ok?_ "

"Ok." Mac simply said, raising her head.

" _Will, take care of my little girl_."

"Always."

" _I love you, darling._ "

"Me too, Daddy. Tell Mum I love her too."

" _Of course._ "

 

Mac ended the call and sighed deeply, leaning back on Will's chest while he put his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. "It's a long story. I'll tell you another time." Mac told him before he could ask. Then, she noticed the wrinkled piece of paper on his hand. "What's this?" She asked him.

"I found it in your purse when I went to grab your painkillers." He explained. He took a few seconds to calm himself; he wasn't sure telling Mac about the note was the best idea after the fight she had just had with her brother but he knew he couldn't keep it from her. "I already called Mike."

"What?" She exclaimed, jumping out of her seat and forcefully prying the note from his hand. She read it and gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth. "Oh God."

 

The note fell from her hand and landed on the floor, between them. Will looked down and read it once again:

 

> _You ruined my life. Now, I'll ruin yours._

 

* * *

Mac had agreed to meet Detective Johnson the following morning, at the precinct. Will had offered to go with her and she had surprisingly accepted. She was past pretending that the situation wasn't affecting her and was beginning to lean on Will when he offered his help and his unconditional support.

 

Will's presence at the police precinct had raised a few eyebrows among the police officers working there. Luckily for them, Detective Johnson had been waiting for them and quickly escorted the couple to an empty interview-room. He explained that they had investigated the restaurant and the waiter who had served them on Saturday. The poor kid, scared to death, had confessed to the detective that a guy had approached him saying that he was a big fan of Mac and Will but was too shy to go talk to them. Instead, the mysterious man had asked the waiter to give them a note. He hadn't read it, he just had dropped it inside Mac's purse. The description of the guy that the waiter had given them was pretty generic and, unfortunately for them, the security cameras at the restaurant hadn't been able to get a clear image of the stalker.

 

Mac was pretty upset when they left the precinct. Looking down at his watch, Will realized that they had missed the pitch meeting. Knowing it wouldn't matter (much) if they took another hour, he decided to treat Mac to a nice brunch. He didn't have to wait too long to hear her objections.

 

"I have work to do, Billy. I can't take another hour off work." Mac grumbled as she climbed into Lonny's car.

"Jim's got it." Will told her; he fully trusted Jim to carry on in their absence. "We'll be back in time for the two o'clock."

"I have PT at 12:30." She reminded him.

"Yeah, right." He replied, scratching his neck while trying to formulate another plan: he wanted Mac to relax a little bit before returning to the newsroom.

"Where to?" Lonny asked them from the driver's seat, grinning.

"How about a nice Venti Caramel Macchiato? We can go to the Starbucks down the corner from AWN." Will proposed.

"If Mike doesn't mind the unscheduled coffee trip..."

"Whatever pleases you, Ms. McHale." Michael teased her.

"Let's go, then." Will told Lonny.

 

* * *

Once the show was over, the only thing Mac wanted to do was go straight home to a nice glass of wine and a hot bubble bath. It took her a while to finish everything she had to do. Will had spent the first twenty minutes with her, just keeping her company, until she had told him to go home. He had reluctantly agreed but only after she had promised him to call when she got home.

 

A few hours later, she was peacefully sleeping on her bed when someone loudly knocking on her door woke her up. Half-asleep, she looked at the alarm-clock on her night-table and groaned. Who the hell was at her apartment at 2 a.m.? Pissed off, she got up from the bed and grabbed her satin robe to throw over her nightie on her way to the door. She looked through the peephole and saw John, the other bodyguard, anxiously waiting there.

 

"John?" Mac asked through the closed door.

"Bumblebee." John said. When Mike had begun protecting her, he had insisted on having a series of codewords to assure Mac's safety; bumblebee was the one that told her it was safe to open the door.

"What's wrong?" Mac asked him after he had stepped inside and closed the door.

"I need you to change and pack a bag. Michael is coming to take you to a safe place." He quickly explained, locking the door and gently escorting Mac, with an insistent hand on her back, further inside the apartment.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked, getting more scared every second that went by.

"The building has been compromised, Ms. McHale." He told her. "I think the stalker found a way to get in."


	12. Chapter 12

Being escorted out of her apartment in the middle of the night by two bodyguards was something Mackenzie never thought it would happen to her. She could feel the tension radiating from the two men while the elevator took them down to the garage. When the doors opened, John stepped out first, to clear the area. Once he signaled them, Mike let her get out. He gently took the bag she was carrying and, after making sure she was safe inside the car, he put it on the back seat and climbed on the driver's side.

 

He locked the doors and turned to look at her. "Are you ok?" Mac simply nodded; she could feel the lump in her throat, tears threatening to fall. Mike sympathetically squeezed her shoulder. "Right now, we have three options. Number one, AWM. It's a secure building."

"And sleep in my office?" Mac said, her voice barely a whisper.

"So that's a no. Number two, we get an hotel room for the night. I'll alert the staff and stay with you in the room." He told her.

"And number three?" She asked.

"Number three, you stay with Mr. McAvoy until we secure your building once again." Mike replied.

 

Mac thought about her options for a few seconds: she could get an hotel room but staying with Will appealed her more, she knew she would feel safer with him. She took a deep breath and told Mike her choice. "Ok." He replied. "Let me call Lonny to explain the situation. Do you wanna call Mr. McAvoy?" She quickly shook her head; she wasn't sure she could make the call without bursting into tears. Mike understood her negative so he placed a quick call to his colleague and asked him to inform Will.

 

Once everything was set, he started the car. The ride to Will's place was quiet. Mike parked the car in front of the building and jumped out, grabbing Mac's bag from the back seat before opening her door. The doorman held the door open for them and greeted Mac with an smile. He accompanied them to the elevator but, before he could do anything more, Mac took out the key that made the elevator stop at Will's penthouse. Mac didn't say a word, neither did Mike. When the doors opened, they saw Will waiting for them. Will immediately opened his arms and Mac almost ran to him. His arms quickly went around her body, pulling her close, while she hid her face into his neck. He wasn't surprised when he felt his t-shirt getting wet; even if she wasn't making any noise, he knew she was crying.

 

Over her shoulder, Will made eye contact with Mike. The bodyguard slowly approached them and left Mac's bag next to the couple, on the floor. "I'll be back in the morning." Mike softly said.

"Thank you." Will told him, on behalf of Mac and himself.

 

Mike quietly left the apartment while Will returned his attention to the woman in his arms. Mac had his shirt clenched with her fists, her sharp breathing tickling his neck. He moved his hands to her back, his fingers drawing slow circles on top of her clothes, trying to soothe her. When he thought she was a bit calmer, he kissed the side of her head, encouraging her to look at him. "Come on, let's go to bed." Without releasing her, he grabbed her bag and took her to his bedroom. He left the bag on top of the dresser and helped her sit down on his bed. He walked back to the dresser and grabbed one of his t-shirts; he was sure Mac had packed something to sleep but he knew she loved using his shirts to sleep. He handed it to her and waited until she finished changing. Then, he lay down on the bed, on his back, and opened his arm so Mac could climb next to him. She quickly did, pressing her body as close to his as she could, her head resting on his chest, just under his shoulder, with her arm over him. With his free hand, he pulled the covers over them.

 

They spent a couple of minutes in silence. Mac's breathing slowly returned to its normal rate, the tears had stopped a few minutes ago. Her eyes were closed but Will could tell that she wasn't asleep. He wasn't sure what to do next: should he say something or should he wait for Mac to talk first? Fortunately, she made the decision for him. "Billy?" He heard her say. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Mac. You can stay here anytime you want." He replied.

"Don't say this too many times or I may take you on that offer." She tried to joke, opening her eyes to look at him.

"I mean it." He assured her.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Mac asked him.

"No. Yes? I don't know." He hesitated. "We decided to take things slowly, right? The last time I went too fast and you weren't ready."

"I'm ready now."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" He repeated her exact words.

"Maybe? I don't know either." She sighed. "Slowly is good."

"Yeah, you made that clear Saturday night." Will said, teasing her. He yelped when Mac tugged his chest hairs. The pain he had briefly felt was worth it when he heard a tiny laugh coming from the woman in his arms.

"Billy?" She said.

"Mackenzie?" He replied, still grinning.

"What did the rest of the message say?" The grin vanished from his face when he heard those words. He sighed deeply. Mac knew he loved her, he had told her a few times since they had begun dating again. Confessing his love for her while being high as a kite hadn't been his finest move, it had caused more headaches that he was willing to admit, but it had been something he had needed to do at that precise moment.

 

He knew it was time. "Hey. It's me, Will. Listen, I swear I'm not saying this because I'm high. If the answer is no just do me a favor and don't call me back or bring it up or anything but I have to tell you, I mean, after tonight, I really wanna tell you that I've never stopped loving you. You were spectacular tonight. Can you believe we got Obama?" A tearful snort escaped her lips. "I meant Bin Laden." He clarified.

"I know."

When she didn't say anything more, Will gently raised her chin to look at her. "Mac?" He softly asked. She had been pestering him about the message for two months and, the moment she had heard about it, she had gone silent.

"I understand why you couldn't tell me before." She finally replied. "I'm just glad that it didn't take us more time to get to this point." She continued, her head returning to rest on his chest.

 

Mac yawned and snuggled closer to Will, adjusting her position against his body to be more comfortable. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I love you, Billy."

"I love you, too."

 

* * *

The next morning, Mac slowly woke up. Without opening her eyes, she reached for her phone but she didn't find it where it was supposed to be. Confused, she opened her eyes and remembered that she wasn't at her apartment; for a moment, she had forgotten about the events of the previous night. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, burying her face on the pillow under her head. She was about to fall asleep again when she heard soft footsteps approaching the bedroom, the smell of strong coffee filling her nostrils.

 

She opened one eye just in time to see Will entering the room. "One of those better be for me."  Mac said, referring to the two mugs he was carrying. She sat up on the bed and rearranged the pillows to lean against the headboard.

"Morning, sleeping beauty." He told her, smiling, while handing her one of the mugs.

"Thanks." She told him, gladly accepting the mug and the peck on the lips. "What time is it?"

"Almost eight." He replied, sitting next to her legs. "Mike called ten minutes ago. He wants to talk to you. I told him he can come right up when he arrives."

"So, we have half an hour." Mac said, a wicked grin forming on her face.

"More or less." Will replied. Mac drank the rest of her coffee in two big gulps before reaching for Will's mug. She took it out of his hand and left the two mugs on the bedside table. She swung her legs out of the bed and stood up, grabbing Will's hand on the process to make him do the same. "Mac?" He asked, confused.

"We're going to take a shower and you're going to make me forget about everything, even if it's only for a few minutes." She firmly told him, not leaving any room for him to argue.

 

Not that he was going to.

 

* * *

"You're making me do things I'm sure I wasn't able to do, even before the accident." Sloan heard Mac say when she stepped into the AWM gym. She stifled a laugh, walking around the corner of the room where Tim, Mac's physical therapist, had set up his working space with a therapy table, a stool and an exercise mat.

"Your muscles are hard as rocks, Mac, you know we have to stretch them." Tim told her.

"Are you sure you are not trying to kill me?" Mac groaned.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He replied.

 

Sloan observed them from behind: Mac was sitting on the therapy table, with her legs hanging on one side. Tim had his hands placed on both sides along her jaw, thumbs at the base of her head, while he slowly rotated her head to one side and held that position.

 

"Oh God." Mac groaned again.

"Just a few more seconds." Tim told her.

"You always say that." She replied.

 

Sloan waited until Tim let Mac rest a bit to make her presence known. "Hey." She said.

"Sloan, I don't think your clothes are adequate to exercise. It'll be difficult for you to run on the treadmill with these heels." Mac teased her friend.

"I could, if I wanted to." Sloan replied. "Hi Tim." She greeted the young man. "Do you mind if I stay here while you slowly kill her?" She asked with a grin on her face.

"Not at all." He told her. "Just try to not distract her too much."

"I can do two things at the same time." Mac told him. "What's up?" She asked Sloan, aware that the easy-going conversation was just an excuse. She looked worried, behind that playful mask that Mac knew too well.

Sloan picked up the stool and placed it in front of her friend before sitting down. "Rumor has it that you and Will have arrived together two days in a row." She said, crossing her legs.

"Sloan." Mac warned her, knowing it wasn't the real reason why she had come to see her at the gym when she could have just waited for her to get back to her office. Tim moved her head once again, making it impossible for her to see Sloan's face.

"Will and I went out for coffee and he told me what happened Monday night."

"Don't worry about it." Mac told her.

"I worry!" Sloan exclaimed. "If that creep knows how to get in your building..." She said, before she remembered that Tim was also in the room. She looked at him, her eyes wide open.

"I know / He knows." Tim and Mac said at the same time. "I had to tell him. Michael had him fully investigated before he was allowed into AWM." Mac explained.

"I feel like a celebrity's therapist." Tim said. "Lay down, face up. Bend your knees." He instructed her. Mac did as told while he grabbed a triangular cushion to put under her legs. He moved to the head of the table to continue working on her neck.

"Kenzie..."

"I'm being careful, Sloan." Mac interrupted her. "And I'm staying at Will's, as you probably already know, until they determine how the hell he managed to get in."

"How is that going?" Sloan asked, grinning.

"Pretty well, actually." She replied. "We haven't killed each other. Yet." She continued, emphasizing that last word. "We aren't moving in together, so get that thought out of your thick head."

"I didn't say anything!" Sloan exclaimed, slightly offended.

"But you were thinking it." Mac told her.

"I was." She admitted.

 

Tim laughed at their antics; he could tell those two had a strong friendship and that they deeply loved each other. Usually, he didn't let anyone sit during his therapy sessions, people tended to distract his patients, but Mackenzie was perfectly capable (as she had said) to do two things at once and Sloan always made him laugh.

 

"Hey, Tim?" Sloan said.

"Yeah?" He replied without looking up at her.

"Can I do that? It seems like fun." She asked him. She laughed out loud when Mac eyes flung open and she cried out an outraged "No!"

"You might kill her if you do." Tim simply said, smiling.

"Go pester someone else." Mac told her.

"Ok." Sloan replied, standing up. "Wanna do something this Saturday?"

"Dinner at my place?" Mac asked her.

"Perfect." Sloan replied.

"Now, go!" Mac told her.

 

Sloan raised her hands and slowly backed up. Just before leaving the gym, she bursted out laughing when she heard Mac tell Tim that he shouldn't even try because her neck couldn't turn 360° like that creepy girl at _The Exorcist_.

 

* * *

Michael and his team had spent three days re-securing Mackenzie's building, once they had found out the weak spot the stalker had used to sneak in. Just when they thought every point was covered, and he was about to let Mac return to her apartment, the guy had broken in again. He was getting frustrated so he perfectly understood Mac's anger when he went to Will's apartment to tell them what had happened.

 

He left a few minutes later after that. Mac quickly went to Will's bedroom and slammed the door behind her, leaving a slightly confused Will standing in the middle of the kitchen. He waited five minutes before following her. When he opened the door, he heard Mac on the phone, canceling the plans she had with Sloan for the evening. He slowly approached her and put his hand on her shoulder. Mac turned around and his heart broke a little when he saw her moist eyes. He pointed to the phone, asking to halt her conversation for a minute. Mac excused herself and covered the phone with her hand to speak with Will.

 

"Don't cancel your plans with Sloan." He said. "Tell her to come here instead."

"Really?" Mac asked, surprised.

"Yeah." Will replied.

"You don't mind?" Mac asked, again.

"I don't." He assured her, smiling.

"You're a good man, Billy." Mac told him, standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "Sloan, change of plans." She said, returning to her phone conversation.

 

* * *

When Sloan stepped out of the elevator into Will's apartment, her mouth fell open. Mac, who was waiting for her, laughed at her friend. "I didn't remember you haven't been here before." Mac said in greeting.

"I was stuck on a plane while you celebrated the first anniversary of 2.0." Sloan reminded her, accepting the kiss on the cheek.

"Want a tour?" Mac asked her.

"Of course." Sloan quickly replied. "Where's Will?"

"Grocery shopping, believe it or not." Mac told her. "He's cooking us dinner and he needed some things."

"Really?" Sloan asked, surprised.

"Yeah." She simply said.

"And...?"

"And, this way, we'll have some time to talk without him being here. His idea, not mine." Mac explained.

"I feel I'm about to discover a new side of Mr. William McAvoy." Sloan told her, smiling.

"You won't know what hit you." Mac teased her.

 

When Will returned half an hour later, he found the apartment empty. He went to the kitchen and left the bags he was carrying on the counter before walking towards the balcony. He found them there, sitting in his lounge chairs sharing a bottle of wine. The opened the door and stepped outside.

 

"Good evening, ladies." Will greeted them, smiling widely.

"Hi Will." Sloan replied.

 

Will bent down to give Sloan a quick kiss on the cheek before doing the same with Mac. He sat down by Mac's legs and stole the lit cigarette she had on her hand. "Get your own." Mac told him, trying to get it back.

"It's mine, I bought them." Will simply said after taking a drag.

"You don't smoke Marlboro Red." She replied.

"You do, that's why I bought them." He told her.

"So, they're mine."

"I never said that."

 

Sloan watched the exchange with a silly grin on her face: it was great to see her two friends so at ease with each other, so comfortable and happy despite the circumstances. She loved having the opportunity to finally see them interact outside the newsroom. "You two are like an old married couple." She teased them. They looked at her, confused, and Sloan bursted out laughing. Mac joined her while Will looked at them with a curious look on his face.

 

"Well, I better go back to the kitchen or we won't be eating anything tonight." He announced, returning the cigarette to Mac before standing up.

"Want some help?" Mac offered.

"I can manage." He replied. "Stay here and continue drinking my wine, smoking my cigarettes and talking about me." He told them, grinning.

"We talk about other things too, you know?" Sloan told him. "There are some more things besides Will McAvoy."

"He likes to think he's the center of the universe." Mac teased him.

"Well, I'd like to be the center of yours, at least." He replied.

"Ooooooooooooooooh!" Sloan exclaimed. "So cute!"

"Shut up." Mac said to her friend, trying very hard not to smile even if she wasn't succeeding. Will bent down to give Mac a quick peck on the lips and she gladly returned it, slightly blushing when Sloan began to clap like a little kid.

 

* * *

Will had a better time than he thought he would: he wasn't used to socialize with Sloan outside work and the occasional drink at Hang Chew's and he had found that he really liked spending time with her. The dynamic between her and Mac was something that he really had enjoyed watching, it reminded him of his sisters, always teasing and making fun of each other but, at the same time, sharing a deep connection only found in siblings and the closest of friends. He knew Mac and Sloan had become friends pretty quickly but he hadn't realized the extend of that friendship. He was pleased that Mac had introduced Sloan in his small circle of friends.

 

It was close to midnight and Sloan had just left. After accompanying her to the door, Mac had returned to the balcony with Will. Instead of getting her own chair, she had nudged Will to make room for her in his chair and had stretched out next to him. It was a close fit, they couldn't move very much without one of them falling over. They spent a few minutes in silence, enjoying the moment. Will reached for his packet of cigarettes and, after a quick look to Mac, grabbed hers too. He lit both cigarettes and gave Mac hers. Just when she took the first drag, her phone rang. Carefully, she extended her arm to grab it from the table.

 

"It's Sloan." Mac said after reading the name on the screen. "Miss me already?" She told her friend.

" _Kenzie, there were a couple of paparazzi just outside Will's building when I left. They approached me, asking questions about the two of you; they know you're there. I didn't say anything, don't worry, but I thought you should know._ " Sloan explained.

"Fuck." Mac muttered. Will, who had heard every word, sat up and helped Mac do the same. "Thanks for calling, Sloan."

 

Mac hung up, closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Will put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. She gladly rested her head on his shoulder, burying her face on his neck.

 

"When is this going to end?" Mac quietly asked, not really expecting an answer. "Why the bloody hell can't we have a fucking lovely evening without someone wrecking it?"

"Hey." Will softly said, trying to comfort her. "It's gonna be ok."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do." He quickly replied. "Mackenzie, look at me." He gently asked her. She complied, reluctantly, and raised her head to look at him. "We can control the story. Tomorrow, we'll call Charlie and formulate a plan. We'll be under the spotlight for a few days until some other celebrity does something that captures the gossip media and, then, they'll forget about us."

"Why are you being so calm and optimistic about this?" She asked him, slightly pissed.

"Because someone in this relationship has to." He smiled at her. "Come on, let's go to bed."


	13. Chapter 13

The call hadn't really surprised him: he knew it would come, sooner or later, so he had been expecting it. That night at ER, after Mackenzie's car accident, he had begun to formulate, in his head, the plan to disclose that information in the best possible way.

 

Charlie stepped out of the elevator into Will's apartment and looked around. Something felt different; he couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was but it seemed more like a home than a bachelor pad. He was still trying to figure it out when Will appeared from the kitchen.

 

"Hey." He greeted him.

"Did you change something?" Charlie asked him, his curiosity winning over.

"Mac's been buying some things to put around the place. She thinks this needs more color and a softer look, whatever the hell that means." Will replied.

"It means that it'll look less like a man-cave and more like an actual flat." Mac told him, walking past him to greet Charlie with a kiss on the cheek.

"How are you feeling?" Charlie asked her, concerned with her tired look.

"I'm fine." She said, smiling at him.

"She's been tossing around all night." Will added. "Coffee?" He asked Charlie, who nodded.

 

While Will went to the kitchen to make some coffee for the three of them, Charlie and Mac sat down at the table. Mac turned off the four TVs and left the remote next to her. Will quickly returned with their coffee and served it before sitting down on Mac's left.

 

Charlie took a sip of his coffee and leant back on his seat. "The Press Office got a couple of calls regarding you two. Nothing serious but those paparazzi outside your building makes me think they're onto something."

"Sloan said they know I'm here." Mac said.

"I checked the tabloids this morning and nothing popped out." Will continued. "I don't know what are they waiting for."

"It's only a rumor." Charlie told them. "And there have been rumors about you two since Mac returned to ACN." He continues, consciously avoiding mentioning the famous email that got reported in their own morning show. "They need something more to report, something solid, or the story won't sell."

"What do you want us to do?" Will asked his boss. "I'd be happy to never leave the apartment again but Mac would go crazy and she'd end killing me." He joked.

Charlie looked at him, his eyebrow raised. "Why are you so calm about this?"

"He decided to be the optimistic one." Mac explained, also raising her eyebrow at Will's smug grin.

"God, help us." Charlie said, trying not to laugh at Will's sudden outraged expression. "Tomorrow, first thing, you'll report your relationship to HR." He told them, answering Will's previous question. "Then, they'll release a statement. Simple and easy."

"Not so easy." Mac muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"What?" Both men said at the same time.

"You have to call Nina." Mac told Will, sighing deeply.

"Oh, fuck." Will said, letting his head fall on his hands.

"Why?" Charlie asked them, confused. Neither of them replied, they kept staring at each other. Out of the blue, Mac stood up and walked to the balcony, returning a few seconds later with a lit cigarette on her hand.

At Charlie's questioning look, she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm trying to quit."

"Again." Charlie deadpanned.

"Will made a deal with Nina." She quickly said, hoping that her words would make Charlie stop looking at her like a disapproving father. She succeeded.

"What did you do?" He asked Will.

"Remember I met with her about 9/11?" At Charlie's nod, he continued. "It was a cover-up. She wanted to ask me about my relationship with Mac. We found out that her source was the stalker. Nina was ready to run it but she agreed to wait until we were ready." He explained.

"In exchange of..." Charlie began.

"Being the first to know when we decided to go public." Will ended the sentence.

"And it never crossed your mind to tell me this piece of information?" Charlie asked them.

"Mac didn't know, at the time." Will explained.

"Alright." Charlie said. "Call Nina and tell her to meet us at noon, in my office."

 

Will stood up, grabbed his phone and went to the balcony to make the call. Mac didn't move, her sight fixed on Will's back. Charlie softly said her name, breaking her stare and making her turn around to look at him. With his hand, he invited her to sit in front of him. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"What? Having my life spread in tabloid magazines for everyone to read?" She sarcastically replied. "It's something we have to do so we better do it in our terms. This way, we'll be able to control the story."

"Do your parents know?" He asked.

"Yeah." Mac simply said.

"Everything?" Charlie asked, again.

"They know Will and I are back together." She replied. "There's nothing they can do about the rest. I'll tell them once it's over, I don't want to worry them. Besides, it's not something I want to do over the phone."

"I understand." Charlie told her, reaching for her hand and lightly squeezing it. Mac smiled at him in gratitude.

 

Mac stubbed her cigarette at the same time that Will returned to the room. "She agreed." He said, sitting down next to Mac.

"Of course she did." Mac replied.

"Cover story?" Charlie asked him.

"I told her we'd polish up the deal tomorrow." Will explained.

"Perfect." Charlie said. "Now, call your shadows and tell them I'm taking you out to lunch. You can't spend all the weekend holed up inside this apartment."

"But..." Mac began to object.

"I'm not taking no for an answer." He insisted.

 

* * *

 

 

Nina wasn't sure what to expect when she was kindly escorted to Charlie Skinner's office. His secretary opened the door for her and closed it once she had stepped inside. Charlie quickly stood up and walked towards her, his hand extended to shake hers. "Ms. Howard, thank you for joining us."

"Mr. Skinner." Nina replied, shaking his hand. "Will." She said, looking at him.

"Nina." Will nodded in greeting.

 

Nina sat down at the table, in front of Will, and folded her hands. "Shall we begin?" She said.

"In a minute." Charlie told her. "Mackenzie is on her way up."

 

As Charlie finished the sentence, the door of his office opened and Mackenzie hurried inside. "Sorry, I'm late." Mac said. "Hello Nina." She greeted the other woman, quickly shaking his hand before sitting down next to Will.

"Mackenzie, I'm glad to see you're alright." Nina told her.

For a moment, Mac was stunned until she remembered that Nina knew about the accident. "Thanks." She replied with a smile.

"So, how does this work?" Will asked, getting to the point and making clear that he would prefer to be doing anything else rather than sitting in that meeting.

"Is this gonna be an exclusive interview?" Nina asked them.

"Yes." Mac simply replied.

"Great." Nina said. "Then, I'd like it to be a cover story. After all the trouble Will had this past year, the fact that he's not longer one of New York ultimate bachelors is something that'll be of interest to our readers."

"Trouble that you were more than eager to write about." Will reproached her.

"It's my job." Nina told him.

"What do you need?" Mac asked her.

"An interview, together and individually. Maybe a couple of pictures? TMI is willing to pay you for the story."

"We don't need the money." Will quickly told her.

"We'll take it." Mac replied. Will turned to look at her, surprised. "We'll donate it to charity."

"Good idea." Charlie intervened for the first time from his seat behind his desk.

"Perfect." Nina said, taking out a notepad and a pen from her purse and writing down some notes.

"Anything about Mackenzie's current ' _problem'_ is off limits." Charlie continued.

"Of course." Nina told him. "Something else?"

"The reason why we broke up the first time." Will quickly answered, grabbing Mac's hand under the table and gently squeezing it, telling her with that gesture that he wasn't saying that to hurt her. "Everybody knows why. We moved past it, there's no need to revive the story."

 

Nina made a face, weighting her options but, after a few seconds, she nodded at them and wrote that down.

 

"And I'd like to read a copy before you publish it." Charlie said. He wasn't going to make the same mistake they did with New York Magazine and Brian Brenner. With Nina, he would make sure that  nothing she wrote would harm their image. She was about to object but, then, she thought better and agreed with a single nod; Will had made a deal with her, true, but it wasn't written on stone, they could go to any other magazine that would agree to their terms. She wanted the interview, she wanted the exclusive, so if that was the price to pay she would swallow her objections and agree with them.

 

"When do you want to do this?" Nina asked them.

"If it's alright with you, we could do the joint interview right now." Mac told her, glancing at Will to see if he concurred.

"We want this done as soon as possible." Will continued. "You can interview me afterwards, while Mac's with the PT."

"And, if you don't mind waiting for a little bit, we can have a late lunch and do mine after our rundown." Mac said.

"You two are in a hurry. I'm impressed." Nina told them, smiling. "Do you want to do the photo shoot today, too?"

"I'd have to be after the show." Mac replied. "Or we could do it tomorrow morning."

"I'll call our photographer and ask when works better for her."

"Well, it's set!" Charlie said, standing up. "I have a meeting with Mrs. Lansing in a few minutes. Feel free to use my office." He told them.

"Thanks Charlie."

 

* * *

 

 

At the end of the day, Mac was exhausted. Talking about her personal life to a gossip columnist (she refused to call Nina a journalist), answering question after question about herself and her relationship with Will, recalling some hurtful events in her life; those weren't easy things to do. Then, planning the show and producing it before meeting with the photographer to take a few pictures of them. Mandy, the young looking girl from TMI, had been very enthusiastic and passionate about her work, asking them to pose in different places and with different outfits: _work clothes_ for pictures at the studio and the conference room, more casual ones (Will in jeans and a sweater, Mac with a borrowed dress from Sloan's rack) for pictures at both their offices and the Executive Dining Room. She had called them _The power couple of cable news_. They had borne with it but had politely drawn the line when she had asked for a picture of them kissing.

 

While Mac changed back into her clothes, Will was sitting on his chair, nodding off. The sound of the office door being opened jerked him awake.

 

"Oh, I'm sorry." Mike apologized.

"No problem." Will said, yawning. "Mac will be ready in a minute."

"Do you mind if I wait here? I need to talk to her."

"Take a seat."

 

Michael sat down and folded his hands on his lap. The silence between them was a bit uncomfortable but neither did something to break it. A couple of minutes later, Mac stepped out of Will's bathroom but stopped when she saw Mike there.

"Hey." She said. "Is there something wrong?" She asked her bodyguard.

"Well..." He hesitated, standing up. "I have good news and bad news."

"Go on." She encouraged him to continue.

"We weren't able to figure out how the stalker managed to get inside your building. The good news-" He quickly continued. "Is that we've increased the security around and inside the building so you can go back whenever you want."

"How?" Will asked, earning a glare from Mac. He raised his hands, apologizing, but also telling her that he had asked because he cared, not because he was trying to undermine her.

"There will be someone monitoring the security cams 24/7 and we'll have someone staying outside your apartment door whenever you are at home. You have your panic button and the codewords and you know the protocol if there's another security breach." He explained. "We can review it if you want." He offered.

"I'll go back to Will's tonight." Mac told him. "If you don't mind, of course." She said to Will.

"My home is your home." Will told her, smiling.

"We can go over the protocol tomorrow, I'm too tired to think clearly right now." She told Mike.

"Of course."

"Is Lonny waiting downstairs?" Will asked him.

"Yes." Mike replied.

"Let's go?" Will told Mac, getting up from his chair.

"Let's go."

 

* * *

 

 

Tuesday night, after the show, Mac went back to her apartment. That night, and the following ones, she found out that she missed Will, more than she though she would. Those eight days staying at Will's place had been wonderful, despite the circumstances; at her apartment, she felt lonely and eager to wake up the next morning to go to work and see him. How could things had changed so fast? After four years apart, it had only taken a few nights together to reduce her to a bad soap opera character, longing to see and be with her beloved 24/7. 

 

On Friday, they had told the senior staff about their relationship. It hadn't surprised them when they had all stood up and began clapping, offering their congratulations and demanding a celebration at Hang Chew's after the show. Will had complained but, after a quick elbow on the ribs from Mac, he had agreed to go and pay the first couple of rounds.

 

Elliot, Sloan and Don joined them once Right Now was over. When they arrived, they found their colleagues on the other side of tipsy listening to Charlie recall funny stories about Will and Mac when they first met. Mac patted the empty seat next to her, inviting Sloan to sit there. Elliot sat down between Charlie and Jim while Don went to grab their drinks.

 

"Tell Chelsea to put them on my tab." Will loudly told Don, earning a sweet kiss on the cheek from Mac and a round of whistles from the staff.

"Grow up." Mac told them, making them burst out laughing.

"The joy of having kids." Sloan teased them.

"God, don't call them that." Will groaned.

"You're their newsparents." Sloan argued.

"And that makes you..." Elliot questioned her.

"The cool aunt." Sloan replied, smirking.

"I'm surrounded by crazy people." Charlie said, to nobody in particular, before draining his drink and getting up. "Well, grandpa is heading home. Don't do anything that I'd end reading on Page Six."

 

Everybody said goodbye to Charlie and returned to their conversation. They were having a really great time but, when the clock stroke one, Will and Mac decided it was time to leave. They said their goodbyes and stopped by the bar to pay the tab. Will gave his credit card to Chelsea and turned to look at Mac. "Your place or mine?" He asked her.

"Mine, if you don't mind." Mac replied.

"Not at all." He said, smiling. "I'll swing by my apartment to pack a bag and meet you there."

"Perfect." She told him, grabbing her phone to send a quick message to Mike and tell him she was ready to leave. Then, she looked at the staff and saw that they were otherwise occupied so she leaned forward to place a quick kiss on Will's lips. "See you in a bit."

 

* * *

 

 

 _Home, sweet home_. Mac thought while she and the new bodyguard rode up in the elevator. When the doors opened on her floor, they stepped out and walked the short distance to her door. She was opening it when she heard something heavy hit the floor. She quickly turned around and her mouth fell open.

 

"Hi Mackenzie."

 

* * *

 

 

Will was packing his bag when he heard Lonny's phone ring in the living room. He wasn't really paying attention to the conversation but the tone in Lonny's voice seemed a bit odd. He zipped up his bag and grabbed it before leaving his room. He saw Lonny hung up and stare at him with an alarmed look on his face, something Will hadn't seen before.

 

"What's wrong?" Will quickly asked him.

"It was Mike." Lonny replied. "Mac's activated her panic button." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go and, then, the epilogue :)  
> Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After much thinking around the issue, I finally decided to split this chapter in two parts; I was getting really frustrated and ( ~~I might need some feedback to encourage me to finish the next part~~ ) it was getting too long.  
> It's been a very difficult chapter to write and I'm still doubting myself about it. I changed my mind numerous times about the plot and how I wanted it to go on.
> 
> Well, I hope nobody wants to kill me after this ... and I really hope you like it!!

Will quickly reached into his pocket and took out his phone. Before he could begin dialing, Lonny put his hand on Will's arm to stop him. "Don't." Lonny softly said. "We don't know why Mackenzie used the panic button; calling her right know could make things worse. Mike's on it, he knows what to do." He assured him. Will put his phone back into his pocket and walked towards the elevator. "Where are you going?" Lonny asked him.

"To Mac's place." He replied.

"We should wait here." Lonny said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"Lonny, I swear to God, I'm going there. You can come with me or stay here, I don't fucking care."

 

Lonny thought about it for a few seconds before replying. "You'll stay in the car until I tell you it's ok to get out. I'll handcuff you to the door if I have to."

"Understood." Will said. "Thank you." He sincerely told him.

 

* * *

_"Hi Mackenzie."_

 

He was the last person she expected to find when she turned around; she expected even less to find him pointing a gun at her. Her hands flew up in reflex, her whole body suddenly getting on defense mode. She wanted to talk but she found out that the words weren't coming out of her mouth. _Don't panic_ , she thought.

 

"Open the door and get inside." He told her, stepping over the unconscious body of George, her bodyguard, getting closer to her. She quickly complied. He closed the door behind them and made her walk to the living room. She noticed that he hadn't put the locks on the door; a mistake from his part but a good sign for her.

 

Mac stood on the middle of her living room without knowing what to do next. He kept staring at her, sizing her up. Out of the blue, he approached her and extended his hand. "Give me your phone." She hesitated. "NOW!" He yelled at her.

"Okay." Mac told him. She opened her purse and was about to take out the phone when she remembered about the panic button Mike had given her so she pretended to be looking for the phone inside the purse while she pressed the button. Then, she took her phone and gave it to him.

"Sit down." He ordered her, pointing to the couch with the gun, before grabbing a chair to sit in front of her. Once she was seated, he left the gun on his lap for a moment to open her Blackberry and take out the battery. She thought he would pick it up back immediately but he surprised her when he crossed his legs and put his hands behind his head, adopting a comfortable and carefree position, as if he was at home. He seemed to feel pretty calm for someone who was holding another person up at gunpoint, in her own home. Mac wasn't sure what to think, her mind was spinning almost out of control. Her mental chaos must had been reflected on her face because he smirked at her, slightly arching his eyebrow. _He's enjoying this_ , she thought. It didn't help that he knew how to read the expression on her face and eyes and that he had always been too good at it.

 

"Glad to see me again, Mackenzie?" He asked her, still smirking and making her blood boil inside her. She had to bite her tongue before she said something she would regret later. Instead, she decided to remain silent. At her negative to speak with him, he bursted out laughing. "What? Cat got your tongue?" He teased her. "It's always been impossible to shut you up. Had McAvoy finally managed to tame the beast?"

"Fuck you." She spat before she could really stop herself.

"Yeah, you used to love that." He grinned at her.

"What the hell do you want, Brian?" Mac asked him.

"You." He replied. "I want you."

 

* * *

The front of Mackenzie's building was cordoned off, police cars and vans occupying most of the space. Thanks to Mike, Lonny had been able to park his car inside that area. They waited in the car, following Michael's instructions. From there, they could see how the curious neighbors were gathering behind the yellow cord, trying to see what was going on; some of them were even trying to look inside the car to see who was there. Lonny, knowing beforehand that they would get curious glances, had parked the car so people couldn't see Will sitting inside.

 

He could feel how nervous Will was: the usually calm anchor was fidgeting on his seat, checking his phone every few seconds and his hand was constantly running through his hair. Will almost jumped out of his seat when he saw Mike approach the car. Lonny quickly rolled down the window and Mike leant on it to speak with them.

 

"Her floor is being evacuated right now. Once they have secured it, a NYPD negotiator will call the apartment." Mike explained. "They found George unconscious on the floor. He's on his way to ER but he'll be okay."

"Do you have any idea who's behind this?" Lonny asked on Will's behalf.

"The security cameras on the hallway got a partial picture of his face." He said while taking out his phone. He unblocked it and gave the phone to Lonny, who passed it to Will. "Do you recognize him?" Mike asked him.

"It's Brian!" Will exclaimed as soon as he saw the picture. "Son of a bitch!"

"Brian?" Mike asked, confused.

"Brian Brenner, Mackenzie's ex-boyfriend." Lonny told him.

"I'll inform Detective Johnson." Mike said before nodding at them and walking away.

 

Will looked at Mike going back to one of the vans with an angry look on his face. "There's something he's not telling us." He thought out loud.

"Let them do their jobs." Lonny said.

"Easy for you to say." Will spat.

 

Lonny was about to tell him that he wasn't the only one who cared for Mackenzie but decided to ignore him and stay quiet.

 

* * *

The staring contest between them was getting on Mac's nerves and she had to admit that the know-it-all smirk on his face wasn't helping either. She knew that she had to remain calm, her life was on the line (even if she didn't want to admit it) and Brian was proving to be pretty unreliable. She was also beginning to feel too warm for her taste; Brian had closed all the windows and curtains, making the room temperature rise a few degrees. Mac decided to take off her blazer but, before she even made the slightest movement, he stopped her.

 

"What are you doing?" He asked her, his hand moving once again to the gun resting on his lap.

"Removing my jacket." Mac nonchalantly replied. "May I stand up to do it?" She said, sarcastically.

"No." Brian told her. She struggled for a few seconds but finally managed to take off her blazer before throwing it to the other side of the couch. "Keep your hands where I can see them." He said.

"What do you expect me to do, Brian? You have a gun pointing at me. I'm not an idiot." _Like you_ , she thought, leaving it unsaid.

"I'm never sure what you will or won't do, Mackenzie."

 

His phone beeped, startling her. Still smirking, he took it out of his pants' pocket. "Well, that was quick." Brian said after reading the message. He stood up and grabbed Mac's purse, dumping all the contents on the couch. "Police is here." He continued while taking a black device. "You have a panic button and you used it. Am I right?" He asked her, picking up the device. "There's no way NYPD could have gotten here so quickly."

 

Mac didn't answer. On one hand, she was relieved to hear that the police was there, working on a way to get her out of that situation. On the other hand, she was getting more and more scared. Between all that madness, something clicked on her mind: Brian wasn't working alone; he must have someone outside tipping him. She wondered who it was but was afraid to ask.

 

Brian threw the device to the floor and crushed it with his shoe; he knew it wouldn't help him in any way but he felt better after destroying it. Then, in an outburst of rage, he grabbed the table lamp that was next to the couch and sent it flying to the other side of the room. She yelped at the sound of the lamp smashing against the wall. Mac saw him approaching her. She stood up, wanting to get away from him and closer to the abandoned gun, but Brian got to her before she could go anywhere.

 

"Where were you going, Mackenzie?" He asked her, his hand grabbing the hair on the back of her head and pulling her head backwards. Mac cried out in pain, her hands desperately trying to ease the strain on her neck. "Don't play with me." He angrily said, his mouth very close to her ear. Out of the blue, he threw her onto the couch, face-down, and quickly climbed on top of her to prevent another escape. Mac's cries for him to stop, or her kicking legs and arms, only infuriated him more. "Well, it seems I can't trust you to stay still." He told her. With some difficulty, he grabbed both her wrists in one hand and held them against her lower back. He took a pair of handcuffs from the back of his pants and quickly secured them around her wrists. Mac tried to get free but she only managed to hurt herself. She forced herself to stop panicking and to stop struggling, knowing she wouldn't accomplish anything. Brian waited a few seconds, making sure she couldn't get free of the restrains, before he stood up.

 

He didn't help her sit back up. Instead, he returned to his chair and watched Mac struggling to do it by herself. When, after a few minutes, she managed to sit upright, angry tears were running down her face. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the couch, grimacing when her neck muscles screamed in pain.

 

"What a sight." Brian said. "I should have done this sooner, when we were still together. It would have been a lot of fun."

"Go to hell." She was breathing hard so the words sounded more choked off than she wanted to. Her eyes remained closed while she tried to regulate her breathing, something that was proving to be more difficult than she thought it would, but she wouldn't give Brian the pleasure of seeing her have a panic attack.

 

_Think about Will_ , she told herself. _Think about his calming voice and how he always makes you feel safe. Will ... Will ... Oh God! He must be freaking out!_ _I hope he doesn't try to do something stupid. Ok. Stop. That won't help, Mackenzie._

Brian grew tired of Mac ignoring him; he hadn't gotten in all that trouble for nothing. He wanted her; he always managed to get what he wanted, Mackenzie wouldn't be the exception, not in his mind. But, first, he had to make her aware of all the trouble she had caused him and, one way or another, she would have to pay for it.

 

The slap across her face startled her. Without being able to use her hands, she couldn't break the fall and ended face-down on the couch. Her first instinct was to soothe the pain with her hand but the sharp tug of metal against her wrists reminded her, once again, that she couldn't.

 

"Fuck." She exclaimed while he grabbed her arm and sat her upright. "What was that for?" Instead of answering, Brian slapped her other cheek. That time, she saw it coming and was able to stay seated. Her face burned, her neck hurting even more from the abrupt movements to one side and the other. "Are you done?" Mac asked him, looking directly into his eyes. The third slap stung more than the other ones, having hit her already sore skin. She opened and closed her mouth and moved her jaw to both sides trying to ease the pain.

"Are you gonna stop being a bitch or do I have to slap you around some more?" Brian said, looking down at her.

"Can't promise anything." Mac replied. The fourth one made her reconsider. "Okay! Okay!" She exclaimed when she saw him raising his hand once again. "Please." She asked him.

 

Brian thought about it and decided to stop, for the moment. With his foot, he pushed the coffee table away before grabbing his chair in front of the couch and sitting on it backwards, facing her. The smirk was back on his face, as well as a satisfied look on his eyes. He studied her, taking his time looking at her from head to toe, letting everything he saw sink in: the mix between fear and stubbornness that her eyes reflected, how still her neck was, her pressed-together lips, the unsteady rise and fall of her chest. He had lost her twice, there wouldn't be a third time.

 

Her voice put his daydreaming to a stop. "So, what's your plan Brian?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He quickly replied, extending his arm to softly run a finger up her leg. Mac jerked away but that didn't stop him to continue with his intentions. He moved the chair closer and laughed when Mac tried to get away from him by leaning back on the couch.

 

The phone began ringing and both turned to look at it. The relief on Mac's face was evident but Brian glared at the object, debating whether answer it or let it ring. The sound stopped half a minute later but immediately rang again. Reluctantly, he stood up and answered it.

 

* * *

Lonny had let Will step out of the car for a few minutes. Will was leaning against the car, smoking a cigarette, while Lonny stood next to him, hiding his protégé from the curious eyes as well as he could. From his position, Lonny could see Mike approaching them. He quickly alerted Will, who stubbed out his cigarette and waited impatiently for the other bodyguard to reach them.

 

"Mackenzie is alright." Mike said as soon as they were within earshot. "The negotiator was able to speak with her for a moment and she assured him she was fine."

"Thank God." Will whispered, releasing the breath he didn't even realize he had been holding.

"What does he want?" Lonny asked his colleague.

When Mike hesitated, Will feared the worst. "What?" He asked.

"Mr. Brenner's only asked to be left alone. The negotiator will keep trying but, at this point, they're thinking about entering the apartment by force." At Will's horrified face, Mike quickly tried to reassure him. "Their first priority is Ms. McHale's safety. I assure you that, whatever they have in mind, is gonna be carefully planned. And I promise you that I'm gonna be right behind the SWAT team so Ms. McHale sees a friendly face once it's over."

"I trust you, Mike." Will sincerely told him.

"Thank you." Mike replied.

 

An officer approached Michael and whispered something to him. Mike eyes grew bigger and, after a quick excuse me, he left. Lonny gently patted Will's shoulder, showing him his support. The sound of his name being called out startled Will. He turned around and almost fell down when a pair of arms engulfed him into a tight hug, startling him. He stood still for a few seconds until his senses kicked back and he tightened his arms around the distraught woman crying against his shoulder.

 

"It's gonna be alright." He whispered to her. "She's fine, Sloan. She's fine." Sloan nodded but didn't release him. He raised his head and saw Charlie standing next to Lonny. He sent his boss a questioning look, asking him what they were doing here and how had they found out.

"It's on the local news." Charlie simply told him.

"The staff?" Will asked.

"Jim called. I told him I'll call as soon as I know something. They're gathering up at the newsroom to wait together."

"You should get in the car." Lonny interrupted.

 

Will nodded in agreement and gently guided Sloan to climb into the back seat before following her. Charlie got on the passenger seat and turned around to look at them.

 

"Tell us what you know."

 

* * *

 "They're going to call again." Mac softly said.

 

Brian was pacing up and down the room. "Shut up." He told her, halting for a moment to look at her before reassuming walking. He spent a couple of minutes pacing and thinking about the situation. Then, out of the blue, he dropped back down on the chair and stared at her. "You ruined my life, you know?" He began. "You broke up with me and ran back right into to that bastard's bed. Two months later, I lost my job and nobody wanted to hire me."

"You were writing hatred articles about Will and News Night and you know they weren't fundamented. You let your feelings towards me influence your work; you weren't basing your articles in facts. That's why they fired you, that's why none of the important papers wanted to hire you." Mac told him, her voice firm.

"How the hell would you know?" He spat at her.

"I might work in TV but I have friends and contacts in print media, Brian." She condescendingly said. "News travel fast in this profession."

"You're so full of yourself." He sarcastically laughed. "The princess of broadcast journalism. The best EP in the business! Now, please, explain to me why nobody wanted to hire you when you came back to the States, why you ended at ACN when McAvoy clearly didn't want you there, why your three years contract became a 156 weeks contract that gives Will the right to fire you at the end of each week. Tell me." He stood up and sat back down next to her before grabbing a fistful of her hair and pulling her head back. With his lips nearly touching hers, Mac tried to move away but his tight grasp prevented her of doing it. "I know I'm going down, Mackenzie, but I'm taking you with me." Brian threatened her. "Everybody's going to know how you almost got your crew killed, that you were stabbed because you were being reckless and that CNN made you come home and let you out of your contract because you had a nervous breakdown."

"You were Nina's source." Mac whispered, realizing that the story that Nina had back in February, and that Will somehow managed to keep quiet, must had come from him.

"I don't know what you two did to her but she was most than eager to hear all the dirty details." He laughed, his face still too close to hers. "It's a shame my friend didn't manage to convince her to write about Ms. McHale's mysterious stalker. She must have grown a conscience."

 

When he tugged her hair again, Mac grimaced. "You're hurting me, Brian." She told him.

"My bad." He mocked her. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

 

The ringing of the phone interrupted him, making him release the hold he had of her hair. Mac slumped back on the couch, trying to take deep breaths, while Brian got up to answer the phone. She could only hear his side of the conversation but, by the way he was talking and his rigid posture, she knew the conversation wasn't going well at all; he was getting more agitated every second that went by, his voice getting angrier at whoever was on the phone with him. "She's fine." She heard him say. "No, you cannot talk to her ... Because I say so." He continued. A minute later, the negotiator must had say something that Brian hadn't liked because he hung up the phone and slammed it against the wall.  He quickly went to her side and grabbed her arm, hurtfully forcing her to stand up. Mac tried to resist but he dragged her to the bedroom.

 

"Brian? What are you doing?" She asked, scared.

"We're getting as far as we can from the door." He simply said. Once in her bedroom, he threw her out facedown onto the end of the bed, quickly climbing on top of her with his knees on both sides of her hips, holding her in place.

"Brian, don't do this." Mac pleaded.

"Shut up." He forcefully said. Then, for a few seconds, her hands were free. Brian had released one of her wrists but had quickly trapped her left arm under his knee while he took the right one and moved it so he could secure the cuff on the bedframe. When he was sure she couldn't escape,  he stood up.

 

Mac didn't dare to move; a strangled sob accompanied the tears that were freely falling down her face and, dampening the comforter covering her bed. Her body tensed when she felt Brian's breath next to her ear. She whimpered, tightly closing her eyes while her hand grabbed a handful of the comforter and held it tight.

 

"You know I'd never do something like that, Mackenzie." Brian slowly told her, nearly emphasizing every word. "Get comfortable, we're gonna be here for a while."

 

Brian had left her alone for a few minutes after that, time she used to try to get as comfortable as possible. After struggling with different positions, she found that sitting on the floor with her back resting against the bed was the most comfortable position she could manage with her right wrist still cuffed to the bedframe. With her knees bent and her ankles crossed, she pulled her skirt down as best as she could, getting frustrated when the material didn't yield. Feeling disappointed, Mac closed her eyes and rested her head against her mattress.

 

She didn't open her eyes until she heard Brian approaching her room. In an unexpected gesture of kindness, he handed her a glass of water before closing the door and sitting down on the chair she had in a corner of the room. Her first thought was to throw the water to his face but she resisted the temptation and took a sip instead.

 

"Thanks." She softly told him, watching him nurse his recently poured scotch.

"Comfortable?" He asked, smiling.

"Not really." Mac quickly replied. "Do you even care?"

"Not really." Brian said, grinning at her.

"So, what are you going to do? We can't stay here forever." Mac asked him, tired of playing his game. "They won't let you get out of the building."

"They will if I have my gun pointed at your head." He replied, grabbing the gun he had left on top of her dresser and showing it to her.

"Are you going to kill me, Brian?" She asked him, her voice betraying her and clearly showing him her fear.

"I don't know, yet. Try not to piss me off so much and you might get out of here alive."

 

Mac decided to stay quiet, not wanting to trigger him to do something that she would end regretting later. He continued calmly drinking his scotch. When, fifteen minutes later, they heard the sound of the front door getting opened, he got up and went to stand next to Mac, putting her between him and the bedroom door.

 

He raised the gun and pointed it at her. "Well, it's show time, baby."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a lot of jumps in this chapter because I wanted to write both sides of the situation. I hope it doesn't turn to be too annoying ;)

Sometimes Will forgot he wasn't the only one who deeply cared for Mackenzie; sometimes, he forgot that he wasn't the only one who loved her. He was in the car with Charlie and Sloan, the three of them in silence, their comforting presence enough for him to relax a little bit. Sloan had kidnapped his hand and was holding it in a tight grip, her head resting on his shoulder. He wasn't sure who was comforting whom but, every two or three minutes, one of them squeezed the other's hand in support while Charlie kept glancing at them from the passenger seat.

 

Every few minutes, one of their phones beeped. While Will and Sloan ignored theirs, Charlie attended the messages he was receiving, most of them coming from Jim who was keeping his boss informed about what the news were saying about the situation. Tired of hearing his phone going off, Will took it out from the inside of his jacket. Just when he was about to turn it off, the screen lit up and Maggie's name appeared. Knowing she wouldn't be calling if it wasn't really important, he answered.

 

" _Julian McHale called a few minutes ago_." Maggie told him before he could say anything. " _His plane landed a couple of hours ago. When he got into his hotel room, he turned on the TV and saw the news._ "

"Did he call his parents?" Will asked, raising his hand to stop the questions that were about to come from Sloan and Charlie, who could also hear Maggie on the phone.

" _I told him to wait, that it wouldn't do any good to worry them, but I don't know if he listened to me at all._ "

"Do you have his number?" Will said, sighing deeply at the thought of having to deal with a distressed Julian.

" _I'll send it to you right now._ " She replied.

"Thanks Maggie." He said before hanging up.

 

Will tapped on the window with his knuckles and Lonny opened the door. He got out of the car, closing the door behind him. He lit up a cigarette and opened the message he had just received from Maggie with Julian's number. After a deep drag and a deeper breath afterwards, he dialed the number.

 

" _This is Julian_."

"Julian, it's Will McAvoy." Will said when the other man answered his phone. "One of my producers told me you called."

" _I didn't have your number so I called ACN. They didn't want to give me your number but they forwarded my call to your staff._ " He said. " _What the hell is going on? An hostage situation involving my sister? What did you do?_ " Julian angrily asked Will.

Will was tempted to ask him why did he care after three years of ignoring his sister but he resisted. Instead, he took a deep breath and replied as best as he could. "This isn't anyone's fault. There's a creep that has been obsessed with Mackenzie for the last few months. Tonight, he managed to bypass all the security measures that have been put in place. NYPD is working right now on a plan to get her out of there." Will explained, trying to give away as little details as possible.

" _I'm taking a taxi to Mackenzie's place._ " Julian informed him.

"Don't." Will quickly told him. "They won't let you get through the police line." He said. Will didn't want Mac finding her brother there, without any warning, when she got out; the situation was stressful enough, she didn't need her brother bombarding her with questions. "I'll keep you informed, okay? I'll call you as soon as I know something."

" _You better, McAvoy, or I promise I'll kill you with my bare hands._ " Julian threatened him.

 

Instead of replying, Will simply hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. "Great, just what we needed." He muttered while taking another drag of the almost consumed cigarette on his hand. "Any news?" He turned around to ask Lonny.

"They're going in."

 

Lonny urged Will to get back into the car and he complied, a but reluctant but without voicing any objections. Once he was seated, Sloan quickly reclaimed his hand back. _Keep it together,_ he told himself after seeing the scared look on both Sloan and Charlie faces.

 

"Mac's brother?" Charlie asked him.

"I don't know what the fuck is he doing in New York but he saw the news and freaked out. I convinced him to wait in his hotel room." Will explained.

"They got into a terrible fight about three years ago and haven't spoken to each other since." Sloan told Charlie when she saw the confused expression on his face.

"You know what happened?" Will said, turning to look at Sloan.

"You don't?" She replied, surprised.

"Mac only told me they had a fight, she never said what it had been about." He told her. Sloan sent him a hazy look and Will gently smiled. "Don't worry, I'll ask her in a few days." Will reassured her, making sure she knew he wouldn't ask her to break Mac's confidence. 

 

After a whole minute in silence, Charlie decided to break the ice. "What's going on?" He asked, knowing that the news about Julian being in New York wasn't what really worried Will.

"Negotiations failed; the SWAT team is getting ready to go in." Will explained.

"Oh God." Sloan whispered.

"It's gonna be alright." Will told her, squeezing her hand. "They know what they're doing and Mike told me he'd be right behind them." He repeated the words Michael had told him a while ago. "It's gonna be alright."

 

* * *

"OPEN THE DOOR AND I'LL SHOOT HER!" Brian shouted through the closed bedroom door, supposing that the policemen were waiting on the other side.

 

The situation had gotten to a point in which she couldn't predict what Brian would or wouldn't do. She could see that he was scared, even if he tried really hard not to show it, his breathing was becoming erratic while the hand holding the gun was slightly shaking. Mac closed her eyes and pulled her legs closer to her chest with her free arm, hiding her face between her knees and trying to make herself as little as possible.

 

"Mr. Brenner." They heard someone say. "The building is surrounded, every escape route is covered: you have no way out. Don't make things more difficult than they already are. Let us get in, drop the gun and let Ms. McHale go."

 

"DON'T COME IN! I'LL SHOOT HER, I'M NOT FUCKING AROUND." Brian replied.

 

_Here comes nothing_ , Mac thought before raising her head and opening her eyes. "Brian." She said, gaining his attention. "You know that if you surrender everything will be easier and the DA will take that into account." She tried to reason with him.

"Mackenzie." He warned her.

"Nobody has to get hurt." Mac continued, ignoring his warning.

"Shut up." He sternly said.

"Brian, please, they aren't going to leave without-"

 

The strong kick he delivered to her side stopped her. "Shut. The. Fuck. Up." He leant down to tell her, punctuating every word. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back. "I don't want to hear another word. Are we clear?"

"Oh God." Mac groaned in pain, her free arm unconsciously moving to hold her bruised ribs.

"Are we clear?" He asked again, more forcefully, tugging at her hair once again.

"Yes." She muttered through her clenched teeth.

 

Brian released the hold and straightened up. Out of the blue, he kicked her again. The pain on her side intensified to the point that taking deep breaths became difficult. Mac tried to regulate her breathing, an arduous task considering the situation she was living, but she slowly managed to do it. Tears of pain and anger were freely falling down her face; she was past the point of caring about Brian seeing them. The situation would be over in a matter of minutes, or she hoped so, and she would safely be back in Will's arms.

 

Suddenly, the bedroom's window broke into little pieces than flew everywhere while, at the same time, the door bursted open, slamming against the wall.

 

* * *

A single gunshot was heard, interrupting the conversation Will was having with Charlie and Sloan inside the car. Will jumped out of the car, immediately followed by Charlie and Sloan, who quickly walked around the vehicle to stand by his side.

 

Lonny saw them and began to run. "Get back in the car!" He shouted at them.

"What the hell is going on?" Will yelled back. He looked past the running man and saw a bunch of paramedics rushing into the building. "Lonny?" He asked, alarmed.

"Suspect's down." He told them.

"And Mac?" Sloan quickly asked.

"They're securing the scene, it shouldn't take long. We'll know more as soon as they do." Lonny explained.

 

Will began to walk away from them but Charlie quickly grabbed his arm and stopped him. Just when Will turned around to give Charlie a piece of his mind, Lonny's phone rang. "Church." Lonny listened to the other man and nodded, covering his phone to speak to them. "Mac's fine, Mike's with her." He said before returning to the phone conversation. The three of them took a deep breath, relieved after hear those words, and impatiently waited for him to finish.

 

* * *

"Mac! Mac! Look at me!"

 

Mike was kneeling in front of her, trying to gain her attention without touching her. When she had heard the shoot and the SWAT team breaking in, she had curled into a ball to make herself as little as possible and had tightly closed her eyes, wanting to shut everything out. Michael looked around him: Brian was facedown on the floor, groaning and complaining about the bullet in his shoulder while one of the police officers used a towel to put pressure on the wound until the paramedics arrived. The other officers were securing the scene, letting him approach Mac so she would see a friendly face. He wasn't being successful in his attempts to gain her attention without startling her. Just when he was about to gently touch her shoulder, the team leader knelt next to him.

 

"Can you uncuff her?" Mike whispered to the other man.

"Of course." He replied.

"Mac." Mike said once again, only louder, while his hand found her shoulder and gently squeezed it. She whimpered, pulling away from him. "Mackenzie, it's Mike." He told her. "It's over, you're safe now." He assured her. "An officer is gonna take the cuffs off and we'll get out of here, ok?"

 

It took her a few seconds but she finally nodded at him. Mike quickly looked at the man next to him and nodded, telling him he could proceed. The moment Mac's wrist was free, she flung her arms around his neck, a choked out sob escaping her closed lips. His arms quickly went around her waist to steady her while one of his hands gently stroked her back. He could feel, more than see, that she was shaking uncontrollably so he looked up at the officer that was still with them and asked for a blanket.

 

The soft fabric landing on her shoulders seemed to bring her mind back. She carefully untangled her arms from Mike's neck and grabbed the edges of the blanked to pull it tightly around her.  Mac slowly opened her eyes and looked directly at him. "Please, get me out of here." She almost begged, her voice small and afraid.

"Are you hurt?" He asked her, concerned.

"A bit, but I can walk. Please, just get me out." Mac told him, tears falling once again down her face.

 

Between Mike and the team leader, they helped Mac stand up and escorted her out of the room. They walked to the couch but, once Mac realized where they were going, she drastically stopped and glanced at the kitchen's door. Both men accompanied her and helped her sit down on one of the chairs. Mike went to get her some water while the officer took a chair and sat down in front of her.

"Ma'am?" He said, worried about the absent look on her face.

"Mac." She softly corrected him, giving Mike a little smile when he handed her a glass of water.

"Mac, I'm Nick." He told her. "Paramedics are on their way up, they'll be here any second now. Is there anything I can get you in the meantime?"

"Is Will downstairs?" Mac asked.

Nick looked at Mike, slightly confused at her question. "He is." Mike quickly replied.

"I'll ask someone to get him so he can wait in the lobby." Nick said.

"Thank you." Mac sincerely told him. Nick smiled at her and got up to make the call. Before he could take a step, Mac stopped him. "Wait!" She exclaimed.

"Mac?" Mike rushed to her side.

"He wasn't working alone." She blurted out. "Brian." She clarified. "He didn't tell me but he was texting with someone who was keeping him informed of what was going on downstairs."

"We'll look into it right away." Nick assured her before leaving the room.

 

Mac took a sip of the water she was holding with her trembling hand before leaving the glass on the table. Mike sat down in the empty chair in front of her. Mac extended her hand and he quickly took it between his own, gently squeezing it.

"Mike." Mac softly said, looking at him.

"Yes?"

"Could you call Lonny? I need to talk to Will."

 

* * *

A police officer had escorted him to the lobby and had asked them to wait there. Charlie and Sloan were sitting down on the uncomfortable couch while Will paced in front of them under Lonny's protective glimpse. Lonny's phone rang and he retreated a few inches to answer the call. A few seconds later, he returned and handed his phone to Will. He looked at his bodyguard, confused, but he accepted the phone.

 

"Yeah?" He said, unsure.

" _Billy?_ " He heard Mackenzie's tearful voice on the other side.

"Mac!" He exclaimed. Charlie and Sloan jumped out of their seats and rushed to his side. "Are you ok, sweetheart?"

" _A bit shaken up but I'm fine._ " Will took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a few seconds. " _I'm fine_." Mac reassured him, knowing he must be beating himself up at that moment. Her voice was telling him that she was about to break down even if she was attempting to sound calm, for his sake. " _Will, I..._ " He heard the sob before she could keep it down.

"Mac. Oh, honey." He said, his heart breaking inside at the sound of her soft crying.

" _I'm sorry._ "

"It's alright." He tried to reassure her.

" _I want ... I need you._ "

"We'll be together soon. Ok? I'm in the lobby, waiting. I promise I'll run to you as soon as the elevator doors begin to open."

" _You'll fuck up your knee._ " She tearfully laughed at him.

"Don't worry about that." He simply said.

" _I have to go. They want to check me out before we leave._ "

"I'll be waiting, right here." He assured her. "Mac?"

" _Yes?_ "

"I love you." Will softly told her.

" _I love you too, Billy._ "

 

Will hung up the phone and handed it to Lonny with a quick thank you. He needed a few moments to collect himself, to ease down the fear he had been feeling for the past two hours since Lonny had gotten the call.

 

A hand in his arm put him back on Earth. "Is Kenzie alright?" Sloan asked him.

"She's fine." Will told them, putting his arm over Sloan's shoulders and pulling her to his side. "They're making sure of it, though."

"Good." Charlie said.

"She'll be here soon." He told Sloan, not really sure if he was reassuring her or himself. Sloan smiled at him and he returned the gesture. Then, after a deep sigh, he took out his phone. "I have to call Julian."

"I can do it." Charlie told him.

"And I'll call Jim." Sloan offered.

 

Will was about to thank them but the commotion they could hear coming from the elevators interrupted him. The three of them turned around just when a group of policemen and paramedics stepped into the lobby surrounding a stretcher. Thinking it was Mackenzie, Will took a step forward. Charlie was the first to realize it wasn't Mac. Faster than he thought he could, he put himself between Will and the group and called Lonny. When Will saw Brian, he threw himself at him. Luckily, for Brian, Lonny was ready to grab his arms and restrain him while Charlie put his hands on Will's chest to help the other man.

 

"Don't do anything stupid." Charlie warned him.

"Let me go." Will growled.

"Calm down." Charlie said.

"You're going down, McAvoy!" Brian said, out loud, when the stretcher went by their side. An officer quickly told him to shut up.

 

It took Lonny all his willpower and strength to keep Will from breaking free. "Don't make me knock you out." Lonny told him.

"Will." Sloan called him. "Hey! Look at me!" She said, grabbing his face between her hands. "Stop it! It won't do you, or Kenzie, any good if you get arrested for assault for punching him."

"I'd make me feel better." He replied, suddenly deflated.

 

Lonny and Charlie waited for a few seconds, until they were sure Will wouldn't run after the guy, before they left him go. Will rubbed his arms and glared at them but, at the end, he decided to take Sloan's advice.

 

When, a few minutes later, they heard the elevator again, Will began to run. Nobody tried to stop him, knowing fully well that nothing could keep him from getting to Mackenzie as soon as possible. He saw her, leaning on Mike while she slowly walked out of the elevator with two EMTs right behind them, and his heart broke into a million pieces. She looked so small and lost, engulfed by the blanket covering her shoulders, that the only thing he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and never let go.

 

Before he could think about anything else, he heard Mac's strangled sob and felt her body crushing into his chest. For a few seconds, Mac didn't care about the pain on her neck and ribs; she only wanted to feel his strong arms around her body and his lips against hers because, even if it had only been for a little while, at one point she had thought she would never be able to feel them again. Will, with trembling hands, framed her face and slowly rested his forehead against Mac's. They both closed their eyes and sighed deeply. Will was the first one to open them again before gently removing the tears on her face with his thumbs. Mac leant into his touch, seeking the comfort and peacefulness he always brought to her. She felt his lips on her forehead and opened her eyes to look at his blue ones before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.

 

Everybody left them alone, looking everywhere but at them to give them some privacy. When the kiss ended, Mac tucked herself into Will's side and under his arm and nodded at Mike, telling him they could continue. They quickly reached Sloan and Charlie. Without leaving Will's protective grasp, Mac gladly accepted Sloan's hug and Charlie's kiss on the cheek.

 

"Are you ok, kiddo?" Charlie asked her.

"Yeah." Mac simply said, afraid that another round of tears would begin.

"She needs to get checked out by a doctor." One of the EMTs told them. "They're waiting for us at Presbyterian."

"I'm going with her." Will quickly told them, his voice making clear that it was non-negotiable.

"If Mike goes with you, and you promise to stay by his sight all the time, I'll take Mr. Skinner and Ms. Sabbith and meet you there." Lonny said.

"Deal." Will replied before turning his head to look at Mike, who nodded in agreement.

 

The eight of them walked out of the building. Detective Johnson was waiting for them just outside the door and explained that Brian had been arrested before he had been taken to the hospital. He also told them that, as soon as possible, they would begin looking for his accomplice.

 

"I'll swing by the hospital in a bit to take your statement." He informed Mac.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Will asked him.

"It's alright." Mac said.

"I'll see you there." He told them before walking away.

 

With Lonny and Mike standing before them, Mac and Will went to the waiting ambulance. One of the EMTs was about to help Mac step into the ambulance when three consecutive gunshots were fired at them.

 

* * *

People began to scream and ran away in all possible directions. Lonny and Mike, especially trained for that kind of situations, quickly put themselves on the line and pulled their protégées to the ground, covering them with their own bodies; Charlie, who was standing next to the ambulance, grabbed Sloan's arm and pulled her behind the vehicle and to the ground, quickly laying down beside her.

 

"Where are Mac and Will?" Sloan asked him, raising herself on her forearms to look around.

Charlie gently made her lay down again and put his arm over her back to keep her still. "Stay down." He hissed.

"But Charlie..." Sloan began but stopped talking when Charlie shushed her.

 

They stayed there until an officer knelt next to them. "Sir? Ma'am? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Charlie replied before looking to his side. "Sloan?"

"I think I'm fine." She told them while the officer helped her sit down.

"Your knee is bleeding, ma'am." The officer said, pointing at her knee.

"I must have scratched it when I went down."

 

Charlie, who had just managed to stand up, offered his hands to Sloan to help her do the same. Once she was upright, Charlie put his arm around her waist to support her. "Come on, we'll find someone to take a look at it."

"It's nothing, Charlie. I'm fine, really." Sloan argued.

"Let's find the others." He told her with a little smile.

 

The smile on his face vanished as soon as he saw the situation waiting for them. Lonny, sitting up against a police car, was being attended by two paramedics, his arm bleeding despite the gauzes the paramedic kept putting on the wound. Charlie's eyes quickly looked for Will, thinking the worst: if his bodyguard had been hit... By the look on Sloan's face, she had reached the same conclusion.

 

They looked around, trying to find their friends among the chaos surrounding them. They saw another couple of ambulances arrive along with more NYPD cars. Out of the blue, Sloan shouted "There!" while pointing somewhere. They walked as fast as they could and it took them a few seconds to absorb the situation before their eyes: Mac was laying unconscious on the sidewalk with Will hovering over her and begging her to wake up, his voice cracking every single time he said those words out loud.

 

"Oh my God! Kenzie!" Sloan exclaimed.

Mike raised his head to look at them. "She hasn't been hit. She hit her head when I pulled her down." Mike quickly explained.

"And Lonny?" Charlie asked.

"Two bullets on his arm. He'll be alright."

"Will?" Charlie said. When he didn't answer, Charlie approached him and put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. Will, startled, turned to look at him. Charlie had never seen Will looking so desperate, so lost, and it scared him. "Will, are you alright?"

"What?" Will said without thinking. "Yes, yes, I'm fine." He continued once his brain had processed Charlie's question.

 

Will's attention returned to the unconscious woman in front of him. He didn't know what to do, his mind had shut down the moment he had seen her. He only wanted Mac to open her eyes and tell him she was alright. He carefully framed her head with his hands, running his thumbs over her cheeks. He heard Sloan yelling for some help while Mike put his folded jacket under Mac's head.

 

"Mackenzie, wake up!" Will sternly said, smacking her cheek as gently and lightly as he could. "Come on, Mac, you're scaring the shit out of me. Open your eyes, please?" He begged her, once again.

 

Two paramedics came running and quickly knelt beside her. Mike explained the situation to them and stepped aside to let them work. Sloan and Charlie grabbed Will's arms and obliged him to stand up and give the paramedics some room. Will, unwilling to be kept away from her, broke free of their grasps and dropped down by Mac's head, out of the way of the paramedics but still close to her.

 

"How long has she been unconscious?" The woman attending Mac asked Will.

"A couple of minutes." He nervously replied, looking at his watch. "Maybe five? I don't know."

"It's ok." She replied.

 

Mac showed signs of waking up a few seconds later, so the paramedic raised her eyelids and checked the pupils with a light. Mac squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head to one side, trying to avoid the bright light. When she began to violently cough, the paramedic asked Will to support Mac's head while they moved her to lay on her uninjured side. Will gently caressed her hair, his hand never stopping, going up and down from her forehead to her upper back, while leaning down, his mouth close to her ear, to whisper soft words of encouragement and a lot of "It's okay" and "I love you".

 

They placed an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth once the coughing subsided. Will raised his head, alarmed, and looked questioningly at them. "She may have some broken ribs so breathing it's a bit difficult and painful. This will help." The woman explained.

 

The strange object over her face seemed to be what made Mac finally open her eyes. "Billy?" She said, confused, her hoarse voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm here." Will quickly replied, dropping a kiss on her head.

"What happened?" Mac asked him.

He was about to answer but another coughing fit interrupted him. He patiently waited until Mac managed to calm down before answering. "Someone shoot at us but everybody's fine."

"I've been shot?" She asked, confused. "It doesn't hurt."

"No, honey, you haven't been shot. You hit your head when Mike pulled you down." Will explained.

"Is he alright?"

"He is." Will assured her.

"Mackenzie." The paramedic interrupted them. "Try not to talk too much, ok? We don't want you to get more tired."

"Sorry." Mac said, closing her eyes.

The paramedic gently touched her face and Mac opened her eyes again. "Stay awake." She told her. "Keep her awake." She whispered to Will, who nodded.

 

Someone approached them with a stretcher and they, very carefully, moved Mac onto it. Finally able to see him, Mac softly smiled at Will. "Hi." She said when her eyes found his.

"Hi yourself." Will smiled back.

 

A hand on his shoulder distracted him for a second. He turned around to look at Charlie, eyebrow raised. "They're letting us ride with Lonny. Mike will go with you." He told Will. "We'll meet you there."

"Thank you, Charlie." Will sincerely replied.

"Take care of her." Charlie said before walking away.

 

Will waited until they loaded the stretcher into the back of the ambulance before climbing inside and sitting at the back, out of the way of the paramedics but still able to hold Mac's hand. Once everyone was in place, the driver turned on the sirens and the ambulance began to move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
